International airport in chaos again with all flights grounded after staff shortage
International airport in chaos again with all flights grounded after staff shortage
Flights in and out of Newark Airport are currently grounded, due to a lack of air traffic control staff. Both inbound and outbound flights will face major disruption
Flights have been grounded at Newark Liberty International Airport once again as the travel hub continues to struggle
(Image: undefined via Getty Images )
International air passengers flying into Newark Airport are poised to experience significant disruptions, following the announcement that all flights are to be grounded immediately.
The Federal Aviation Administration's Air Traffic Control (ATC) System Command Center halted outbound flights at Newark on Wednesday evening local time due to a critical shortage of essential staff needed to manage the runways.
After sweeping federal budget cuts were initiated in January, the airport saw an exodus of around 20 per cent of its ATC employees, resulting in a dire staffing crisis.
This marks the continuation of a series of troubles at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, which has seen repeated groundings by the FAA over a string of technical failures in Air Traffic Control systems over recent months.
Brit who lives in Benidorm warns tourists to avoid three popular spots
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Delays expected until November 2025 at all EU borders for UK travellers
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Newark Liberty International Airport has been plagued with staffing shortages since Trump axed funding
(Image: AP )
The ongoing issues prompted a comment from President Trump in May, asserting, "I fly out of Newark all the time," as he attempted to alleviate concerns among travellers.
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With this major halting of operations, passengers with scheduled departures on Wednesday June 4 are being forewarned that the grounding is expected to be protracted, with the suspension extending to all incoming flights to Newark as well.
Incoming travellers should brace for hold-ups, as current reports indicate anticipated landing delays averaging 30 minutes.
For those scheduled to arrive, the FAA has stated that there is a traffic management strategy underway to handle the conditions at Newark Airport.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy was at Newark just this week to brag about its new runway
(Image: AP )
Just this week, Trump's Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, announced a significant investment at the airport to address the numerous challenges passengers have encountered in recent months.
On Monday, he conducted a press conference to declare that an additional runway had been inaugurated two weeks ahead of schedule. However, merely three days later, Newark was once again plunged into disarray.
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Simultaneously, Secretary Duffy indicated that flight operations would need to be reduced due to the technological difficulties experienced in recent weeks.
Since April 28, Newark has suffered three power outages, resulting in air traffic control screens going perilously blank as aircraft were taking off and landing.
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