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UPI
2 days ago
- UPI
FAA limits flights at Newark airport for the rest of 2025
June 7 (UPI) -- Arrivals and departures are limited for the rest of the year at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. The restrictions took effect on Friday and limit arrivals and departures to 28 per hour on weekends while airport construction occurs from Sept. 1 through Dec. 31, the Federal Aviation Administration announced on Friday. Arrivals and departures also are limited to no more than 34 per hour during other periods through Oct. 25. "The confirmed reduced rates will maintain safety while alleviating excessive flight delays at the airport due to staffing and equipment challenges," the FAA announcement says. "The early completion of runway construction at the airport that added to the delays will also contribute to a more efficient operation." Similar travel restrictions "paid dividends" by enabling "smooth travel into and out of Newark" over the Memorial Day holiday, according to the FAA. Officials at the federal agency recently met with airline representatives to discuss problems at the Newark airport that triggered long delays and flight cancellations that left many air passengers stranded for hours and sometimes longer. The discussions led to the current flight restrictions while undertaking several improvements at the airport and regionally. The FAA is working to improve operations at the Newark airport by adding three new high-bandwidth telecommunications links between New York-based hubs and the Philadelphia-based terminal radar approach control system for regional air traffic control. Old copper telecommunications connections will be replaced with fiber-optic technology for greater bandwidth and speed, and a temporary backup system to the Philadelphia-based TRACON system will be active while improvements are done. The FAA also is increasing air traffic controller staffing by adding 22 fully certified controllers and five fully certified supervisors at the Newark airport and others in the area. "The U.S. Department of Transportation and the FAA will continue working with all stakeholders to ensure that the airport is a safe, efficient and functional gateway for passengers and air crews," the FAA announcement says.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The 3 FAA Failures Creating a Dangerous Mess in the Skies
Air traffic controllers handling flights for Newark Liberty International Airport experienced another troubling communications outage on Monday. It is the region's fourth reported air traffic control outage in the last few weeks, raising serious safety concerns and contributing to a nightmare of flight delays and cancellations for travelers flying in and out of Newark. On multiple occasions since April 28, air traffic controllers have temporarily lost radar or communications with planes around Newark Airport—once for up to 90 seconds—spurring Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigations, making national news, and prompting a recent Saturday Night Live sketch that illustrated how mainstream concerns about air traffic control safety have suddenly become. Three problems are occurring simultaneously here, each making the other problems worse. First, one of the airport's three runways is out of service for refurbishment until later this summer. Being down a runway reduces the number of flights that can depart and arrive, and by itself would lead to fewer than normal choices for passengers. Second is a severe shortage of air traffic controllers in the facilities that manage the airspace for Newark and other New Jersey airports. Across the country, the FAA is woefully short of air traffic controllers, partly because it still has not developed a staffing model that accurately projects both additions and deletions to the controller workforce. The agency touts the number of new hires each year, neglecting both the washout rate from training and the expected number of controller resignations and retirements. Most years don't see a net increase in the number of air traffic controllers. As detailed in a 2023 Department of Transportation inspector general report, the Philadelphia control tower and Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facility, which services Newark's airspace, were among the least understaffed of major FAA facilities. But The New York Times recently reported on the critical air traffic control understaffing issues now impacting Newark Airport. The Philadelphia TRACON that is responsible for managing Newark's airspace has "only 22 controllers certified to guide planes in and out of the airport," the Times reports—significantly lower than the FAA's target of 38 controllers. "The overall staffing level of the Philadelphia facility, which is also responsible for several other airports in the region, is about 70 percent." And even fewer controllers are often available to work. The Times notes that as few as "three air traffic controllers were scheduled during a period on Monday evening at the [Philadelphia] facility that guides planes in and out of Newark—far short of the target of 14 for that shift." That brings us to the third problem: the air traffic control system's obsolete communications technology. All the flight data from New Jersey airports (Newark, Teterboro, and Morristown) get transmitted to Philadelphia via a 25-year-old telecommunications system and routed to a controller display system called STARS, the Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System. STARS processes radar data for Newark and, according to the FAA, "telecommunications lines feed this data from New York to the Philadelphia TRACON, where controllers handle Newark arrivals and departures." STARS was designed to read obsolete "time-division multiplexing" data from the transmission system, whose copper wires are wearing out and don't have enough capacity. For years, the vendor working with the FAA to upgrade the system has been patching up that system with "pseudowire" that gets overloaded and loses packets of information, causing blank control screens and no voice communications with aircraft cockpit crews. This was flagged as a serious problem at the Los Angeles TRACON in 2022 and 2023, when there were five incidents of display screens going blank at various air traffic control towers in the region. Investigation of those failures identified "a vulnerability caused by two specific characteristics in the STARS software architecture" that displays flight data to controllers, according to a leaked November 2023 internal FAA report called "STARS Remote Tower Failures Background." To the best of my knowledge, the FAA never disclosed this 2023-identified failure built into STARS to the outside world. But it did hold internal meetings to discuss the problem. The situation in Newark is far worse, because both the radar data and communications data there have no backup systems. Losing both at Newark is far more serious than the failures at Los Angeles TRACON. With Newark Airport's outages increasing the scrutiny on the FAA's failed technology and long-delayed modernization efforts, Forbes recently described the agency's latest plan to update its communications infrastructure. It involves "adding three new, high-bandwidth telecommunications connections" between the New York TRACON and the Philadelphia TRACON "to provide more speed, reliability and redundancy," and to establish a STARS hub that doesn't depend on a telecommunications feed from the New York hub. An FAA spokesperson told Forbes that improvements will be implemented "in the coming weeks and others in the coming months, and all by the end of the year." The problems at Newark are yet another example of our inadequate air traffic control system. The United States needs to separate aviation safety regulation from air traffic control operations. When the FAA both manages and regulates air traffic control, there is an inherent conflict of interest. Today, more than 80 countries have air traffic control systems that are public utilities funded by user fees, allowing them to generate money quickly, issue revenue bonds, replace aging facilities, update their technology, and hire skilled staff while being directly accountable to customers. The U.S. is one of the few countries that hasn't adopted this approach to air traffic control. The results are understaffing, outdated technology, and a lack of meaningful oversight—all combining to put the travelers at risk. The post The 3 FAA Failures Creating a Dangerous Mess in the Skies appeared first on
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Air Traffic Controller Whose Split-Second Decision Narrowly Avoided Mid-Air Collision Speaks Out
A veteran air traffic controller is speaking out about the high-pressure working conditions he and his colleagues are facing amid tech blackouts and staffing shortages. Jonathan Stewart, 45, is a supervisor at Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON), which monitors flights traveling to and from Newark Liberty International Airport, as well as regional airports. In recent weeks, air controllers have been faced with unimaginable challenges, such as the 90-second outage at Newark that made their computer screens go dark while simultaneously leaving them without any direct line of communication to pilots. During an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Stewart got candid about how the traumatic experience has impacted him and his colleagues. He also detailed a close encounter between two planes flying near Newark, N.J., that called for him to make a split-second call to avoid a horrific accident. The incident involved a business jet flying out of Morristown Airport in New Jersey and another smaller plane that had taken off at nearby Teterboro, according to the outlet. Stewart quickly noticed the two aircrafts flying directly towards each other at the same altitude during the fourth hour of his shift. While he was able to quickly contact the two pilots and direct the two planes away from each other in time, he was 'badly shaken' by the near-collision as he feared their communication technology might give out like it did days before, per the outlet. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. As a result of the incident and the current working conditions, Stewart opted to take a stress-related trauma leave after writing a strongly-worded email to FAA managers. In the email, he emphasized, 'I take my job very seriously, as I do the safety of the flying public, and take pride in my performance.' He notes that several of his colleagues have also taken leave after experiencing dangerous tech glitches, resulting in the same fear that these temporary outages could result in tragedy. 'I don't want to be responsible for killing 400 people,' Stewart said. Of his high-pressure job, he adds, 'It's like a videogame, but it's like playing 3-D chess at 250 miles an hour. We are the guys that are guiding your pilots home.' While he tells WSJ that he's set to earn a salary of over $450,000, he says it comes with 'a lot' of sacrifices, including demanding 60-hour work weeks. He adds that you're expected to 'give up nights, weekends, holidays, birthdays, everything else. Your mental health and your physical health take a toll.' He notes that every time there's any kind of incident, it has a 'cumulative' impact on every air controller. 'The thing about PTSD is this: For every time you have an incident — say a close call, a near-midair, God forbid — all of these things are cumulative,' he explained. He emphasizes that the lack of staffing is a major problem in air traffic control. Earlier this month, United Airlines cut 35 roundtrip flights from Newark due to 'FAA staffing issues,' the airline said. Not only does being understaffed lead to delays, but it can also lead to unsafe working conditions for the controllers working on the job. Stewart says in an ideal world, controllers shouldn't be actively monitoring traffic for more than two hours so they can stay sharp instead of possibly losing focus or getting fatigued. 'Like anything else, you're going to have a breaking point,' he added. In a May 13 statement from the FAA on the current staffing issues, the agency noted, 'There is a nationwide shortage of air traffic controllers, and the FAA for years has not met the staffing goal for the area that works Newark airspace.' The statement continued, 'If daily or per-shift staffing levels are low, the FAA ensures safety by implementing traffic management initiatives, such as slowing the flow of aircraft into an airport.' All of this comes on the heels of the deadly mid-air collision of an American Eagle passenger jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter over Washington D.C.'s Reagan National Airport that killed 67 people, and significant cuts made to the FAA by the Trump Administration. Read the original article on People
CBC
16-05-2025
- General
- CBC
What's going on with air traffic control in the U.S.? Here are the facts
A series of alarming technical outages affecting Newark Liberty International Airport in the past few weeks have many asking what exactly happened, and whether it's even safe to fly in the U.S. anymore. An air traffic control facility in charge of airspace around the airport has suffered three communications outages in two weeks, including a 90-second radar and communications blackout on Friday. Then on Monday, an outage affected a control facility in Denver. None of the incidents caused planes to collide or crash. But no one is downplaying the seriousness of what happened, or the threat to safety it represents. What actually happened at Newark airport When a plane is in the process of taking off or landing, air traffic controllers in the airport's tower are in charge. Since it's a tower, they can physically see the planes they are controlling, as well as using radar and radio systems. But a different group of air traffic controllers is in charge when a plane has already taken off and is ascending, or when it's descending toward the airport but not yet on final approach. They direct all the planes that are airborne and near airports. Because of the distances, these controllers can't see the planes. They rely exclusively on radar screens and radio communications to know where the planes are. Their facility is technically known as a TRACON, which stands for terminal radar approach control. The TRACON for Newark used to be on Long Island, but last year the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration moved it to Philadelphia, in part because the high cost of living in the New York area was making it hard to attract staff. Data from Newark airport and nearby radar sites is sent via a telecommunications line to the Philadelphia TRACON, which shows up on the controllers' screens. That telecommunications line is what failed twice in the past three weeks, for about 90 seconds at a time, along with a third, unspecified outage on Sunday. That meant the controllers didn't know where the planes were, and couldn't talk to the pilots over radio. The airspace the TRACON controls could have contained dozens of planes at any given time, many at similar altitudes. Not knowing exactly where they were could lead to a catastrophic collision. There was no catastrophe, but the experience was so traumatizing that at least five controllers went on stress leave. In response to the outages, airport officials cut the number of flights going in and out. That caused lasting delays and cancellations. So the same thing happened in Denver on Monday? Similar, but it's not clear yet if it was the same. This is a third type of air traffic control facility called an ARTCC (air route traffic control centre). The controllers there are responsible for guiding planes that are cruising, usually at high altitude, and flying over areas but not landing. The Denver ARTCC lost communications for about 90 seconds. Similar to the Newark TRACON, it appears the controllers couldn't see the planes they were responsible for on their radar screens. In this case, however, they used a backup frequency to communicate with pilots. The FAA is investigating what happened, but it's not yet known whether it was a failure of a telecommunications line like in Newark. What's being done about it Newark airport is now handling fewer flights, in part because the communications problems are compounded by chronic under staffing, meaning many controllers are overworked. The FAA said it is increasing air traffic controller staffing, adding three new high-bandwidth telecommunications connections, and deploying a temporary backup system to the Philadelphia TRACON as it switches to a more reliable fibre optic network. The FAA employs about 14,000 controllers nationwide, but says it need to hire at least 3,500 more. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also said billions of dollars need to be spent on upgrades to air traffic control systems across the country in the next three to four years. Newark air traffic controllers lost contact with planes, union confirms 10 days ago Duration 1:43 Newark airport air traffic controllers briefly lost radar contact and communication with several planes under their watch last month, their union has confirmed. Chaos has gripped the airport for two weeks, causing ripple effects across the U.S. Is flying even safe now in the U.S.? Duffy says flying is safe, but also says improvements are needed urgently. Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines, which uses Newark far more than any other airline, said on Monday that all flights in and out of there are "absolutely safe." But many passengers aren't so sure. Some have vowed to avoid Newark from now on.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
FAA defends moving Newark airspace control to Philadelphia
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Tuesday defended moving Newark Liberty International Airport's airspace control to Philadelphia in a statement released in the wake of recent turmoil in the airport's operations. 'There is a nationwide shortage of air traffic controllers, and the FAA for years has not met the staffing goal for the area that works Newark airspace,' the FAA said in a statement obtained by The Hill's sister network NewsNation. 'The persistent low staffing levels and low training success rate at New York Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON), or N90, were contributing factors to moving control of the Newark airspace to the Philadelphia TRACON in 2024,' the agency added. Over the weekend, the FAA slowed traffic at Newark due to a telecommunications issue at the Philadelphia facility, which directs planes into and out of the airport. The move followed the airport recently garnering national attention for staffing issues and technological challenges. Late last month, air traffic controllers in Philadelphia lost communications and radar with planes at Newark for close to 90 seconds. Hundreds of flights faced cancellation or delay due to the breakdown in communication and the blackout. Air traffic controllers later took absences via the Federal Employees' Compensation Act, which lets federal workers who are injured or go through trauma on the job take time off, making the situation at Newark worse. The FAA also seemed to suggest in its Tuesday statement that the Philadelphia TRACON fit Newark's airspace staffing needs better than the New York TRACON. 'Philadelphia TRACON Area C, which directs aircraft in and out of Newark, has 22 fully certified controllers, 5 fully certified supervisors, and 21 controllers and supervisors in training,' the FAA said in the statement. 'Ten of those 21 controllers and supervisors are receiving on-the-job training. All 10 are certified on at least one position in Area C and three are certified on multiple positions. This means they can work those positions without supervision from an instructor.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
