A recent software update successfully prevented a third radar outage at Newark Liberty International Airport despite another telecommunications line failure over the weekend, revealed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Monday. At a press briefing, Duffy expressed frustration, stating that the issues causing a multitude of flight cancellations and delays could have been avoided if proactive measures had been taken by the Biden administration. Actions such as better equipping the Philadelphia air traffic control facility, especially after prior hardware problems in late 2023, might have prevented the recent disruptions.
Despite the software fix, delays continued to plague Newarkโs airport on Monday evening, resulting in average hold-ups of over 90 minutes. However, this time the issue was not technical but rather due to staffing shortages exacerbated when several air traffic controllers took leave following the first radar outage, explained Kristen Alsop, spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA had imposed traffic restrictions at Newark post the initial incident because of insufficient personnel, and these limitations, alongside ongoing runway construction, have led to continuous flight disruptions. Later this week, the FAA plans to meet with airlines to discuss possibly extending these restrictions into the upcoming summer.
The crucial update, installed by the FAA on Friday night, was instrumental in maintaining operations over the weekend. When a problem arose with the primary line feeding the Philadelphia air traffic control facility on Sunday, the backup supported continued functionality. Previous incidents on Friday and earlier had briefly left air traffic controllers powerless to communicate with or track aircraft. Although the radar remained operational on Sunday, controllers, having been shaken by recent events, chose to halt all traffic at Newark for 45 minutes as a safety measure.
Secretary Duffy announced intentions to initiate an investigation into the decision to relocate Newarkโs air traffic controllers from New York to Philadelphia the previous year. Philadelphia lies approximately 85 miles from Newark. โThe Biden-Buttigieg FAA failed in executing the relocation without reinforcing susceptible telecom lines,โ criticized Duffy, arguing that the lack of significant infrastructure improvements heightened the risk of failures.
Duffy argued that the FAA should have established a new radar system specifically for Newark in Philadelphia instead of sending signals from New York. Duffy, alongside former President Donald Trump, has pointed to the Newark issues as justification for a proposed multibillion-dollar overhaul to the national air traffic control system โ a plan they unveiled last week. While Duffy criticized the current administration, claiming neglect of necessary reforms, infrastructure-related issues have existed long before the current presidency.
Chris Meagher, an advisor to the former Transportation Secretary, countered that Duffy should concentrate more on resolving present challenges, defending the Biden administrationโs initiatives to recruit air traffic controllers and address some infrastructure concerns. โSecretary Duffy has a demanding job. But focusing on problem-solving should take precedence over assigning blame,โ Meagher stated.
Last week, Duffy outlined an ambitious plan to modernize the aging air traffic control network, including installing 4,600 new data links and over 600 radars, though specifics on financing the multibillion-dollar project were not disclosed. Meanwhile, the FAA has begun installing advanced fiber optic lines at Newark and New Yorkโs Kennedy and LaGuardia airports, intending to replace antiquated copper wires. These new connections will undergo testing for the next two weeks before being fully operational, aiming to prevent any further complications.