Newark Airport faces weeks of flight cuts as radar outages, staffing crisis deepens

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that flights in and out of Newark Liberty International Airport will be reduced for "the next several weeks" to address persistent radar outages and a severe air traffic controller shortage.

Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, Duffy said the Department of Transportation is coordinating with all major carriers operating through Newark. The move aims to ease congestion during peak periods, especially in the afternoon when international arrivals increase.

"We want to have a number of flights that if you book your flight, you know it’s going to fly," Duffy said. "So you don’t get to the airport, wait four hours, and then get delayed.”

FAA: Newark ‘unable to handle current level’ of flights

On Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) echoed Duffy’s concerns and said it would formally propose flight reductions at Newark. Citing runway construction, equipment failures, and air traffic staffing shortages, the agency declared the airport "unable to handle the current level of scheduled operations."

The FAA proposal would cap hourly arrivals and departures at 28 operations during runway construction, effective until June 15. Weekend limits would also apply from September through December. When construction is not ongoing, the cap would rise to 34 arrivals and departures per hour through October 25.

“FAA believes that this proposal would reduce overscheduling, flight delays, and cancellations to an acceptable level,” the agency stated.

Aging systems and repeated outages

The FAA said Sunday's disruption was caused by a telecommunications problem at the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facility, which oversees Newark’s airspace. A brief radar outage on Friday (May 9)—just the latest in a string of similar issues—lasted 90 seconds.

These incidents highlight the fragility of the air traffic control system, much of which relies on outdated infrastructure. Duffy has proposed a multibillion-dollar overhaul of the U.S. air traffic network over the next three to four years.

United Airlines cuts flights, backs FAA limits

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby supported the FAA’s approach, acknowledging that the airline has already cut flights and expects more reductions until at least mid-June, when runway construction concludes. He predicted that some cuts could last through the summer.

“We have fewer flights, but we keep everything safe, and we get the airplane safely on the ground,” Kirby said on CBS’ Face the Nation. “Safety is number one, and so I’m not worried about safety. I am worried about customer delays and impacts.”

United, Newark’s largest carrier, has urged the FAA to impose further flight restrictions due to chronic delays.

Controller shortage: Duffy pushes retirement reform

The FAA is currently 3,500 air traffic controllers short of its target staffing level. Duffy said he wants to raise the mandatory retirement age for controllers from 56 to 61 and offer a 20% upfront bonus to those willing to stay on the job.

“These are not overnight fixes,” Duffy said. “But as we go up — one, two years, older guys on the job, younger guys coming in — we can make up that 3,000-person difference.”

The FAA noted last week that the stress of repeated outages and overwork has pushed many controllers to take time off.

“While we cannot quickly replace them due to this highly specialized profession, we continue to train controllers who will eventually be assigned to this busy airspace,” the agency said in a statement.