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The airport control tower is observed at the Newark Liberty International Airport, May 6, 2025 in Newark, New Agessi.
Andres Kudaki | Gets the image
Air traffic controllers are under the tension for years but 90 seconds Failure of the equipment Last month, they exposed how decades of staffing deficit, insufficient solutions and patchwork for those who directs planes through some of the most overloaded airspace in the world.
Disabling also caused hundreds of flights delay, breaking the trips for thousands of people all day again. In less than two weeks, on Friday, another similar shutdown occurred in the same facility, although it was over the night when there are much fewer planes in the air.
The heads of expensive delays, the executives of the airlines have been asked for modernization for years to correct the aging infrastructure and the staffing staff deficiency.
With the executives the largest submitted the plan To replace the dated radar and communication systems in the US airspace, overhaul that airline may require Congress to approve more than $ 30 billion.
Duffy did not submit a price tag, but stated that the work would cost billions of dollars and added on Thursday, which would require these funds from the Congress “Ahead”.
“The system we have here is not worth saving,” Duffy said at the event. “It’s too old.”
Airlines, Airbus, GE AEROSPACETrade unions and other industry members applauded $ 12.5 billion on Thursday to improve air traffic control and stated that over the next three years, another $ 18.5 billion were needed to modernize and improve the staffing schedule.
Some Democrats stated that they were encouraged by Duffy’s new proposal, but dozens of Federal Aviation Administration officers were criticized by Trump’s dismissal of Trump’s administration, which did not include air movement controllers.
“If America wants to remain a gold standard in the sphere of aviation security, we need reasonable investment-not canceled investment and reduction of financing,” said the Senator Dakworth, Ild, Thursday.
What is the problem in Newark?
In the afternoon of April 28, air traffic controllers in Philadelphia, which are responsible for the driving aircraft to the Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, encountered dark radar screens and failed to talk to planes for more than a minute.
The shutdown lasted about 30 seconds. According to FAA, it took another 30 to 60 seconds to reappear on joyful pieces.
Captain United Airlines Deon Byrne checks her phone when she arrives at Tsesal C at the Liberty International Airport, May 6, 2025 in Newark, News.
Andres Kudaki | Gets the image
Pilots for large US airlines say they are specifically trained to combat such shutdown.
But the shutdown even for a few seconds “is an eternity for air traffic controllers,” said Jeff Guzeti, a retired air safety air safety and FAA air security.
The incident, which was not the first time when the equipment shutdown got into the object was so clumsy that some “went to recover after stress from the last shutdown,” the FAA said.
More than 1500 Newark flights were arrested a week after disconnect, Flightaware reports. United Airlineswhich pulls the center from the Newark, said it was sharply 35 flights per day From your schedule to facilitate the load on your work and customers.
The run -up strip of Newark was also closed, adding to the interruption.
A similar radar and disabling of communication occurred before the dawn on Friday at the same facility oversees the planes arriving and sent from Newark.
New steps
On Wednesday, FAA said it would increase the personnel schedule in the Philadelphia and work to fix the communication lines that provide data to the Newark flights controllers. It states that he plans to install a temporary backup system there to “ensure the dismissal while transitioning to a more reliable Fiberoptic network”.
New modernization cannot come soon enough.
“We have computers, and I’m not you, today, in 2025, based on Windows 95 and the disk,” said Nick Daniels, President of the National Air Movement Controllers Association.
Last year, FAA said the average age of its towers is 40 and that most radar systems are nearing 40 years. “Aging facilities adds a risk to the system, including the risk of service disruption,” the report said.
The Daff plan opened on Thursday, designed to replace 618 radars and construction of six new air traffic control centers, as well as installing new fiber -optical, wireless and satellite systems to replace old communication systems.
On May 5, 2025, Newark, New Tishsei, people are waiting for flight delays at Newark International Airport.
Spencer Plath | Gets the image
The accident attracts urgency
The incident on April 28 and preliminary shutdown did not lead to accidents, but the failures caused more hassle about the outdated system and the chronic lack of air traffic controllers, especially in the busy air space around New York.
US air traffic controllers handle about 45,000 flights per day, FAA reports.
Urgency of fixing the prolonged problems has reached a new level after the Black Haber Army helicopter clash with en US Airlines A regional plane on January 29, killed by all 67 people aboard the plane. It was deadly Air crash in the US since 2001.
“To solve this problem should not need a tragedy”, JetBlue Airways Joanne Geragti CEO stated that at the Washington Transportation Department, Washington, “as the only airline that is with a Kokwater headquarters and is based in New York, we know that air traffic delay and task is far and too good.
“Let’s do it,” she said.
Why is Newark such a problem?
Newark already deals with spatial restrictions.
According to the operators, the ports of New York and New Jersey, he engaged about 414,000 flights, 11% less than at John F. Kennedy, Quee, New York. But Newark has about half the size of JFK.
In recent days, Newark has been particularly rigid technology and staffing disadvantages. Last year, FAA moved with controllers handling Newark from the Long -Aylenda facility, New York – where planes also seized to Laguardi Airport and from JFK to Quins – to a remote station in Philadelphia. The move was designed to facilitate congestion and tension at the Long -Aynda facility, but there are still problems.
Inner opinion at Newark Airport, when travelers face eight dusty delay days, on May 6, 202, routes and deficit in Newark, Newar, New Jersey, New Jersey, New Jersey, New Jersey state
Mostafa Bassim | Anadolu | Gets the image
The state -air deficit has shocked airline executives seeking to take advantage of strong requirement But limited and faced high cost of the absence of controllers.
“Keep in mind that this particular air traffic management object has been chronically insufficient and without these controllers, now it is clear – and FAA tells us that the Newark Airport cannot cope with the number of aircraft that are planned to work there in the coming weeks and months,” said Scott CEO.
By April 26, four flights a day were canceled in Newark in April, but it rose to 39 a day to Monday, according to the CIRIUI Aviation Analytical Firm. About 80% of the flights were scheduled in April by this date, but decreased to 63%, “much lower than industry norms,” Cirium said.
Slowing it
US Transport Minister Sean Dafa talks to the media outside the White House in Washington, Colombia District, May 6, 2025.
Kent Nishimura | Reuters
Duffy said air trips are safe. After the visit to Philadelphia after turning off on April 28, he said that FAA slows down, if not stopped, arrival at all, if there is a deficiency of air traffic controllers.
The CEO of United Kirby told staff in a note on Wednesday that the flight to Newark and it is safe. He said the carrier’s pilots have thousands of hours of experience and learning procedures to “follow the connection when controllers lose contact to move safely on the plane to their destination.”
Airlines are looking for power restrictions to help overloaded, and the last breakdown is no exception.
“United has called on the US government for * years * to use its powers to effectively limit the number of flights to the fact that the airport can handle realistically,” Kirby said in the note to the employees. “The past failure of these changes has led to the united circumstances, and most importantly, our customers are facing.”
In 2016, FAA reduced the airport’s flight restrictions, and Kirby said FAA should return to the previous rules.
“Long -last time refers to EWR as the crown he is,” he told staff on Wednesday, using the airport code. “We will continue to cooperate closely with the FAA and (Transport Department) to correct EWR once and for all and deliver the country to the first -class air movement that it deserves.”
Staff deficit
There are about 10,800 air traffic dispatchers in the US, which lacks its full goal for 3000, according to Union Controllers, NATCA.
“Over the last eight years, we have had 146,000 entrants, and we have hired 7,905,” Chris Willbanx, Vice President to support the FAA, who oversees the hiring controller and training, said in an interview. “Less than 10% of people applying for a job actually enter the academy (Oklahoma) Academy, and then finish to reach the field.”
In the previous financial year, the FAA purpose was to hire 1800 controllers.
“We will lose 35% of those at the Academy. We will lose another 20%, as soon as they get into the field, to prepare jobs. Thus, we are not pure 1800 controllers,” Wilbank said.
The population requires air traffic dispatchers to retire at the age of 56, and the applicants to the academy may be no older than 30. Many forced to work for six day titers due to lack.
Recently, Duffy has moved to an increase in financial incentives, such as higher air traffic controllers. According to the Union of Daniels, the starting payment is about $ 45,000, although the average air traffic control payment is $ 144,580 a year, the US Department of Labor reports.
