Inside the Days-Long Breakdown at Newark Airport
Newark, NJ — What began as 30 seconds of silence in the skies over New Jersey quickly escalated into a days-long crisis at one of the nation’s busiest airports.
On April 28, air traffic controllers at Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control, responsible for guiding planes into Newark Liberty International Airport, lost both primary and backup communications with incoming flights. That brief outage triggered cascading delays and cancellations, traumatized staff, and reignited concerns over a fragile and outdated air traffic control system.
“Approach, are you there?” one pilot radioed repeatedly. Moments later, a controller responded to United Flight 1951, finally restoring contact after five tense attempts.
But by then, the damage was done.
At least 15 to 20 aircraft were in Newark’s airspace during the failure, according to Flightradar24. Controllers scrambled to manage planes without radar, instructing some pilots to contact towers directly or exit controlled airspace altogether. One pilot was denied clearance into Class B airspace—surrounding major airports—because radar services were down.
Though no crashes occurred, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that five employees took 45 days of trauma leave following the incident. The chaos resulted in over 150 cancellations and 350 delays that Monday alone, with more disruptions in the days that followed.
The event exacerbated long-standing issues: outdated technology, persistent staffing shortages, and increasing pressure on an already strained system. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy acknowledged the system failure publicly, calling the radar and communications infrastructure “incredibly old.”
“We use floppy disks. We use copper wires,” Duffy said. “It’s not built for today’s traffic.”
The FAA and Department of Transportation are now promising a sweeping overhaul. Duffy pledged to introduce a modernized, “state-of-the-art” air traffic control system over the next three to four years—one he claimed would be the “envy of the world.”
The human toll was evident. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association, representing nearly 11,000 certified professionals, said the Newark facility has been “chronically understaffed for years.” United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby also blamed the crisis on the loss of more than 20% of controllers at Newark during the meltdown, though the union clarified that workers did not walk off but instead exercised their right to trauma leave.
“This wasn’t just a technical issue. It was a traumatic event,” said a source familiar with the situation.
Controllers working that day were overwhelmed, and their response—seeking psychological support—was both within regulations and necessary for safety.
For passengers like Geraldine and Mark Wallace, the ordeal meant long delays and growing anxiety. “As concerning as the manpower issue is, the equipment they’re using is just as alarming,” said Mark.
As of Monday evening, delays at Newark averaged nearly five hours. FAA advisories revealed at least 14 consecutive days of agency-imposed restrictions due to staffing.
While officials maintain that the U.S. airspace remains safe, experts warn that pushing a strained system without modernization is risky.
“You can’t expect people to function at their peak under relentless pressure,” said Peter Goelz, former managing director of the National Transportation Safety Board. “And right now, that’s what we’re doing.”
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