What Is Causing the Newark Airport Flight Delays?
Bruce Yuanyue Bi/Getty
As of Friday May 2, Newark Airport continues to battle with rampant flight delays due to a combination of staffing shortages, equipment issues, runway construction, and wind conditions.
The Federal Aviation Administration said in Friday alert that arriving flights are being delayed an average of 90 minutes, noting that departing flight schedules are also affected. Inbound flights to Newark Airport are being delayed at their origin an average of 1 hours 32 minutes, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware.
"You may experience delays and cancellations at @EWRairport due to a combination of @FAA staffing shortages, @FAA equipment issues, and wind conditions," EWR posted on May 1 on X. "Please check your flight status with your airline before heading to the airport."
United Airlines is dealing with the bulk of the flight delays. The Chicago-based carrier has issued a flight waiver for trips between May 1 and May 3 for impacted passengers: 'You can reschedule your trip and we'll waive change fees and fare differences," the airline website said in a travel alert. "But, your new flight must be a United flight departing between April 30, 2025 and May 8, 2025. Tickets must be in the same cabin and between the same cities as originally booked.'
The chaos at Newark Airport began earlier this week when the FAA began slowing arrivals and departures due to telecommunications and equipment issues at Philadelphia TRACON, the air traffic control tower that guides aircraft in and out of Newark Airport. "Both have been resolved, but now there are staffing issues at Philadelphia TRACON," the FAA said in a statement on Monday.
This week's issues at Newark Airport are the consequences of a nationwide problem. The FAA is currently short 3,000 air traffic controllers across the US and is dealing with outdated air traffic control technology. When those two problems combine with localized challenges like poor weather conditions and airport construction, it creates a perfect storm—and an imperfect travel day.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy held a press conference on Thursday to outline the agency's plan to boost hiring by increasing controller pay and offering incentives against early retirement. 'We're hoping in 3-4 years we can get to full staffing, not 20 years,' he said. 'How do you make up the gap? We can't snap our fingers to make up the numbers."
The combination of issues at Newark Airport has prompted concerns that the air travel hub located just outside of New York City—one of the busiest in the US—could continue to see disruptions as the peak summer travel season approaches. The Department of Transportation now requires airlines to provide automatic refunds to passengers if their flight is canceled or significantly changed. Here's a breakdown of the new DOT rules and how to receive flight delay compensation.
This is a developing news story and will be updated with more information as it becomes available.
Originally Appeared on Condé Nast Traveler
The Latest Travel News and Advice
Want to be the first to know? Sign up to our newsletters for travel inspiration and tips
Stop Counting the Countries You Visit
How Safe Is Flying Today? 5 Things Experts Want Travelers to Know
The Best Places to See the Northern Lights Worldwide
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
a day ago
- CBS News
FAA issues ground stop for Denver International Airport due to thunderstorm with strong winds
A thunderstorm with gusty winds is moving across the northeastern part of the Denver metro area. As a result, on Friday afternoon the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a ground stop at Denver International Airport. The ground stop order was set to be in effect until 4:45 p.m. Departing flights to Denver are grounded.
UPI
a day ago
- UPI
Air traffic at airport in Britain halted after jets clip wings
Two easyJet planes clipped wings on the ground at Manchester Airport in Britain Friday morning leading to a temporary halt of ground traffic, although no injuries were reported. File Photo (2020) by Neil Hall/EPA-EFE Aug. 15 (UPI) -- Two planes clipped wings at Manchester Airport in Britain on Friday, briefly pausing flight operations on the ground at the facility, officials confirmed. No injuries were reported when the two easyJet planes collided on the ground at about 6:30 a.m. local time, an airport spokesperson said. "We suspended operations briefly while they were assessed to see if they could taxi back to a stand, which they could so operations resumed after a few minutes," the airport said in a statement to reporters. Both flights were set to depart the international airport, with one bound for Paris and the other headed to Gibraltar. Britain-based easyJet is a multinational low-cost airline group. The company operates a fleet of 318 Airbus aircraft and boasts that it has "one of the youngest fleets in the industry." The airline was working on re-booking affected passengers Friday, according to airport officials. "EasyJet can confirm that the wing tips of two aircraft came into contact while taxiing to the runway at Manchester airport this morning. The aircraft returned to stand to disembark customers who have been provided with refreshment vouchers while replacement aircraft are arranged to operate the flights," an easyJet spokesperson told The Guardian in a statement. "We apologize to customers for the delay to their flights. The safety of our passengers and crew is our highest priority." Last weekend, a Delta Airlines flight clipped another aircraft at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
UPI
a day ago
- UPI
Clear Secure adds Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand travelers
1 of 5 | Travelers from Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand can now enroll in Clear Secure, the American tech firm that allows people to pay for expedited clearance at U.S. airports, the company confirmed Friday. File Photo by Roger L. Wollenberg/UPI | License Photo Aug. 15 (UPI) -- Travelers from Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand can now enroll in Clear Secure, the American tech firm that allows people to pay for expedited clearance at U.S. airports, the company confirmed Friday. Passengers from the four countries can now enroll in the company's CLEAR+ program, allowing them to quickly get through security lines for a yearly fee. The New York City-based tech firm currently uses its biometric travel document verification systems at 59 airports across the United States, allowing clients to save time going through security checkpoints. The company currently charges $209 for a yearly subscription. "From the beginning, CLEAR's vision has been to make travel safer, easier, and more predictable-using the power of identity," Clear Secure CEO Caryn Seidman Becker said in a statement on the company's website. "By enabling highly vetted travelers from the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand to enroll in CLEAR+, we're expanding that vision to more people around the world. Whether you're flying for business or reuniting with family, you should be able to move through the airport with confidence and peace of mind." The company said additional "Visa Waiver countries" will become eligible to subscribe later this year. The program is not related to the PreCheck option offered by the Transportation Safety Administration, which is only open to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. Initially opened in 2025, NEXUS is another separate program allowing travelers to pay for expedited cross-border travel between the United States and Canada. Earlier this week, U.S. Customs and Border Protection launched a streamlined security system for international travelers, at Los Angeles International Airport to reduce wait times from incoming international flights. Clear Secure stock climbed to start the trading day but was in the red by late morning, down $0.65 or 1.91%, trading at $33.15 at 10:49 EDT Friday.
