Flight cancellations continue piling up Newark Liberty International airport, with carriers cancelling 14% of Newark flights on 5 May, days after air traffic control (ATC) equipment failures left controllers unable to track jets.
Carriers cancelled 153 flights into and out of Newark on 5 May, or about 14% of all flights. Another 346 flights, or roughly one-third of the total, were delayed, according to flight-tracking company FlightAware.
The disruptions have come amid reports in recent days that controllers had walked off the job amid system outages, but the union representing controllers is challenging that narrative, saying workers took absences after losing all ability to track or communicate with aircraft.
On 28 April, controllers at the Federal Aviation Administration’s Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control Facility (TRACON) “temporarily lost radar and communications with the aircraft under their control, unable to see, hear or talk to them”, says the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA).
Controllers at that facility are responsible for “separating and sequencing” jets flying to and from Newark.
“Due to the event, the controllers took absence under the Federal Employees Compensation Act,” NATCA adds. “The controllers did not walk off the job.”
The FAA says, “Our antiquated air traffic control system is affecting our workforce”.
“Some controllers at the Philadelphia TRACON who work Newark arrivals and departures have taken time off to recover from the stress of multiple recent outages,” adds the FAA. “While we cannot quickly replace them due to this highly specialised profession, we continue to train controllers who will eventually be assigned to this busy airspace.”
The troubles come as Republicans in the US Congress and US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy are pushing for a massive funding package for the purpose of modernising US ATC.
Last week, the US House of Representatives’ Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure approved a budget resolution that would provide $12.5 billion to replace ATC towers, TRACON facilities and telecommunications systems, and to hire more controllers.
That bill next will be considered by the House Budget Committee.
US President Donald Trump has also thrown his support behind urgently overhauling ATC.
Last week, in response to ATC troubles and related flight disruptions at Newark, United Airlines chief executive Scott Kirby said his airline would eliminate 70 flights to and from Newark.
