After two consecutive malfunctions, the Philadelphia Air Traffic Control Facility responsible for the Newark Airport experienced another malfunction on Sunday morning, leading to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implementing ground control for flights to Newark Airport, resulting in a 45-minute suspension of flights. The operations have since returned to normal. Shortly after, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the busiest in the United States, also experienced a malfunction due to “runway equipment issues,” causing delays or cancellations for nearly all flights arriving in Atlanta. The FAA stated that the malfunction at Atlanta Airport was unrelated to the issues affecting Newark Airport.
In a statement, the FAA stated that “there was a telecommunications issue in sector C of the Philadelphia Air Traffic Control Center, which is responsible for guiding aircraft into and out of the airspace of Newark Liberty International Airport.” “The Federal Aviation Administration briefly slowed the speed of aircraft into and out of the airport, while ensuring that redundant measures operated as designed.” According to the flight tracking website FlightAware, as of 11 a.m. on Sunday, there were no more flight diversions.
The radar control system at the Philadelphia Air Traffic Control Center responsible for air traffic control at Newark Airport experienced two separate long-lasting 90-second radar and radio communication interruption malfunctions on April 28 and May 9, causing chaos at Newark Airport with ongoing flight delay issues.
This latest incident highlights the aging infrastructure of the United States air traffic control system. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy proposed allocating billions of dollars over the next three to four years to improve the air traffic control system in the United States. Duffy also mentioned plans to extend the retirement age for all air traffic controllers, including raising the mandatory retirement age from 56 to 61.
United Airlines, the primary operational hub at Newark Airport, stated on the 9th that the air traffic control system failure affected the company’s operations at Newark Airport, resulting in significant flight reductions. The airline hopes the Federal Aviation Administration will impose new restrictions on flights at Newark Airport to address the ongoing flight delay issues.
Duffy stated on NBC’s “Meet the Press” program that a meeting is planned this week with all airlines departing from Newark Liberty International Airport to determine the reduction in the number of flights. However, he emphasized that takeoffs from New Jersey’s busiest airport are safe, despite acknowledging the use of an outdated system.
Duffy also mentioned the construction of a new route from Newark Airport directly to the Philadelphia Air Traffic Control Center to replace the current old route. Duffy insisted that the new route must be completed before the end of the summer. He added that a 20% advance bonus will be provided to new air traffic controllers to compensate for the vacancies caused by staffing shortages.