Air traffic controllers guiding planes into Newark Airport in New Jersey faced a brief radar outage on Friday morning, the second to occur in two weeks, spotlighting concerns over the outdated U.S. air traffic control system that President Donald Trump aims to modernize.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that the radar system at their Philadelphia facility—responsible for managing air traffic in and out of Newark—failed for 90 seconds at approximately 3:55 a.m. This incident mirrored a previous occurrence on April 28, which subsequently led to widespread flight cancellations and delays at the airport. In response to the initial outage, FAA implemented measures to reduce the flow of traffic at Newark to ensure safety. This event also prompted five controllers to take trauma leave, exacerbating a pre-existing staff shortage. It remains uncertain if the latest outage will result in additional leave among controllers.
Newark Airport, despite being one of the nation’s busiest, has seen a rise in cancellations and delays since the first radar malfunction. The FAA has labeled it as currently one of the most delayed airports, attributing the situation to technical, staffing, and construction-related disruptions, primarily due to an ongoing runway project.
During a press briefing on Friday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt identified the recent radar glitch at Newark as stemming from the same issues as the earlier occurrence. These recurring problems underscore the necessity of a comprehensive plan, proposed by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, to revamp the aging air traffic control system. This initiative involves replacing outdated radars with modern technology and installing over 4,600 high-speed connections nationwide. The need for modernization was further emphasized by a prominent midair collision earlier this year near Washington, D.C., which resulted in 67 casualties, although the National Transportation Safety Board has not linked it directly to air traffic control failures.
Statistically, Newark Airport has averaged 34 flight cancellations daily since mid-April. The number of flight delays tends to grow throughout the day, beginning with an average of five in the morning and increasing to 16 by evening, with delays lasting between 85 and 137 minutes. Acknowledging the airport’s capacity issues, the FAA plans to restrict arrivals and departures to 28 each per hour during the runway construction, eventually increasing to 34 per hour once the main project concludes, barring ongoing weekend work.
The FAA intends to convene a formal meeting with all the airlines operating out of Newark next week to discuss potential schedule reductions amid the existing staffing and technological challenges. While radar outages in such congested airspace can be alarming due to the critical nature of timing, Allied Pilots Association spokesman Capt. Dennis Tajer believes it is not an impending disaster. Tajer emphasized that both air traffic controllers and pilots are trained to handle such emergencies, ensuring safety even when systems falter.
In situations where pilots lose contact with air traffic controllers, they are trained to continue along their last directed path. Prolonged outages would lead pilots to broadcast their positions to nearby aircraft, similar to procedures at small, towerless airports. U.S. Representative Josh Gottheimer criticized the deficiencies in Newark’s air traffic control infrastructure, citing outdated systems and inadequate staffing as core issues, with technology lagging since the 1980s.
Currently, the FAA has 24 air traffic controllers at Newark but aims to increase this to 38. Additionally, 16 controllers temporarily stationed in Philadelphia since last summer are expected to remain until July 2026 as part of an ongoing move from their previous New York locations. To mitigate the staffing challenges, efforts are underway to expedite certification for 26 trainees currently based in Philadelphia.
The FAA is also working on replacing outdated copper wire data lines with modern fiber optic ones to enhance radar signal reliability. The timeline for these infrastructure upgrades remains unclear. U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer highlighted the urgency of resolving the connectivity issues between New York airspace and the Philadelphia control center, stressing that it represents a pressing air travel safety emergency requiring immediate resolution, rather than prolonged overhauls with uncertain timeframes.