Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey faced widespread flight delays and cancellations on Monday, April 28th due to equipment malfunctions and staffing shortages at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). According to data from the flight tracking website FlightAware, as of 4 p.m. on Monday, there were 227 delayed flights and 18 cancellations. Later in the evening, the number of affected flights increased to 242 delays and 60 cancellations.
The incident originated from a telecommunications and radar equipment malfunction at the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON), causing significant disruptions to flight scheduling at Newark Airport. Despite the FAA having resolved the technical issues that afternoon, the Philadelphia TRACON has long struggled with a shortage of air traffic controllers, leading to continued flight operation challenges.
United Airlines mentioned that in order to address flight congestion, over 35 flights were temporarily diverted to other airports.
To alleviate inconvenience for passengers, United Airlines announced a travel waiver policy allowing affected passengers to change their itineraries free of charge. The airline also advised passengers to check the latest flight information before departure and recommended arriving at the airport early to prepare for possible security screening and boarding delays.
The FAA stated that the operational situation at Newark Airport is gradually returning to normal, but cautioned passengers that intermittent delays may still occur in the coming days, urging the public to plan their travel arrangements accordingly.