New fiber optic cable in place to fix communications problems plaguing flights to Newark, DOT says
A new fiber optic cable is now in place between Philadelphia and New York to improve air traffic control telecommunications at the facility that handles flights in and out of Newark Liberty International Airport, following a busy Memorial Day weekend, the Department of Transportation said Wednesday.
'That was the troubled portion of the line that's been laid,' Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said at a press conference. 'We're doing some of the connections right now, and then we have to test it. I don't want to over promise and under deliver.'
Duffy said the Federal Aviation Administration is using 'an abundance of caution' with testing and hopes the fiber line will be in use by the start of July.
Air traffic controllers in Philadelphia have repeatedly lost contact with Newark flights, including on April 28, when the existing cable failed, silencing radios for 30 seconds and blanking radar scopes for 90 seconds. Three more outages have occurred since then, CNN previously reported.
The improvements come after the system survived a busy travel holiday. Less than 1% of flights were canceled throughout the US air travel system over the holiday period and less than 3% of flights were delayed, Acting Administrator of the FAA Chris Rocheleau said.
The Transportation Security Administration screened more than 3 million people across the country on Friday at the start of the Memorial Day weekend. More than 2 million were screened on each of the other days.
United Airlines reported the busiest Memorial Day weekend ever, with 553,000 people traveling worldwide each day. At the airline's key Newark hub, no departures were canceled on either Sunday or Monday, United said.
Rocheleau added the agency will continue to work with the airlines and airport to slow traffic at Newark to ensure safety and avoid delays. Last week the FAA cut 25% of the flights there to help with congestion from understaffing and runway construction, as well as the aging air traffic control infrastructure and technology.
'We will continue to work with the airlines, with the airports to make sure that as we manage traffic, we do so safely and efficiently throughout the system,' Rocheleau said.
Duffy is asking Congress to support a plan for a brand-new air traffic control system but has not put a price tag on it. He noted Wednesday that it will be higher than the $12.5 billion in a House bill currently being considered.
'It's a substantial piece of work and will take a substantial amount of money,' Duffy said.
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