US Transportation Secretary Plans Flight Reductions at Newark Airport Amid Equipment, Staffing Issues

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced plans to reduce the number of flights in and out of Newark Liberty International Airport for the coming weeks to address ongoing radar outages, equipment failures, and a shortage of air traffic controllers, Arab News reported.

Speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Duffy said he will meet with major carriers this week to coordinate flight cutbacks, primarily targeting afternoon hours when international arrivals peak.

Newark, New Jersey’s largest airport, has faced significant delays and cancellations due to these issues, with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reporting frequent telecommunications problems affecting air traffic control facilities, including a recent outage at the Philadelphia center that manages Newark flights. The FAA has slowed arrivals to maintain safety amid staffing and equipment challenges.

The airport has seen an average of 34 arrival cancellations daily since mid-April, with delays increasing throughout the day and lasting between 85 to 137 minutes on average. The shortage of about 3,000 air traffic controllers has compounded the problem. Duffy proposed raising the mandatory retirement age for controllers from 56 to 61 and offering a 20 percent retention bonus to encourage experienced staff to remain.