Key Facts

Could Air Traffic Control Outages Happen At Other Airports Besides Newark?

“What you see in Newark is going to happen in other places across the country,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said during an interview Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press With Kristen Welker, adding, “I’m concerned about the whole airspace.” Duffy characterized the equipment as safe, but old. “We have redundancies, multiple redundancies in place to keep you safe when you fly,” Duffy told Welker. “But we should also recognize we’re seeing–we’re seeing stress on an old network, and it’s time to fix it.”

What Is Faa Doing To Ensure Flying Is Safe At Newark Airport?

To compensate for a shortage of air traffic controllers and the recent tech failures, FAA is managing the flow of traffic at Newark with a “ground delay,” which limits the number of flights in and out of the airport. In addition, United Airlines, has cut 35 roundtrip flights per day from its Newark hub. On “Meet the Press,” Duffy said Newark “100%” needs to scale back its operations, noting: “We have less controllers working the Newark airspace right now. And, you know, we’re having these–these glitches in the system. So we slow it down and keep people safe, that’s what we do.”

Key Background

Air traffic controllers in a terminal radar approach control tower (TRACON) at Philadelphia International Airport are responsible for directing aircraft in and out of Newark Airport. This TRACON had been operating with 22 fully certified controllers and 21 controllers and supervisors in training, but four air traffic controllers have been on trauma leave since the April 28 incident. In the larger context, the FAA is challenged by a decades-long shortage of air traffic controllers. In February, Duffy unveiled a plan to “supercharge” the hiring of air traffic controllers to shave “more than four months off the old process.” But it can take nearly four years to become a certified ATC, including spending several months at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City, then completing up to three years of on-the-job experience before becoming certified, according to the FAA website.

What Is The Faa Doing To Fix Its Outdated Technology?

Last week, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) unveiled a plan to upgrade the FAA’s communications system, the Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS). At this time, telecommunications lines feed data from STARS in New York to the TRACON at Philadelphia International Airport, where controllers handle Newark arrivals and departures. The FAA’s plan involves adding three new, high-bandwidth telecommunications connections between the New York-based STARS and the Philadelphia TRACON “to provide more speed, reliability and redundancy,” and to establish a STARS hub at the Philadelphia TRACON so that it no longer depends on a telecommunications feed from the New York STARS hub. The improvements will be implemented “in the coming weeks and others in the coming months, and all by the end of the year,” an FAA spokesperson told Forbes. Duffy has called for Congress to allocate tens of billions of dollars to overhaul America’s strained air traffic control system and replace its antiquated technology. Duffy said his agency would build a new air traffic control system “in three to four years” but needed Congress to make that happen, adding, “we need all of the money up front.”

What Travelers Should Know If They Are Flying Through Newark

Newark Airport is open Monday, but again under a ground delay, with flights going into Newark delayed an average of only 19 minutes, according to the FAA’s National Airspace System dashboard. Some airlines are issuing travel waivers allowing you to rebook a flight without a change fee. United Airlines, for example, which has a major hub at Newark, is allowing passengers flying in or out of the airport through May 23 to switch to a flight on another day at no extra charge. American Airlines’ travel alert covers flights scheduled through Newark up until May 14 and JetBlue Airways allows passengers flexibility for flights scheduled through Newark until May 31. It’s always a good idea to download your airline’s app to monitor your flight’s status and sign up for text notifications. In the event of a delay or cancellation, the app is often the fastest path to rebooking another flight. FlightAware can let passengers know if your plane is on schedule. Enter your flight information, and then click “Where is my plane now?” under the flight number. You’ll be able to see if the plane is ahead of schedule, on time or behind schedule and can take action accordingly.

Further Reading

Newark Airport Crisis: FAA Announces Upgrade Plan For Communication System (Forbes)

FAA Announces ‘Hiring Supercharge’ For Air Traffic Controllers—But Don’t Expect An Immediate Fix To The Shortage (Forbes)