Data compiled by aviation analytics firm Cirium shows just how bad the situation at Newark Liberty International Airport has gotten.
A total of 140 flights – 68 departures and 72 arrivals – were canceled on Monday alone, the company found. Cancelations had been trending down over the weekend from a high on May 1, when 183 flights were called off, but that figure rebounded with the start of the business week.
An average of 39 departing flights have been canceled each day since April 26; before that, the average was about four flights per day.
Additionally, on-time departures have plummeted, from 80 percent last month to 63 percent, which is far below industry norms.
The disruptions at Newark stem from a combination of air traffic control staffing shortages, equipment failures, and construction on one of the airport’s three runways used for commercial flights. On April 28, air traffic controllers briefly lost contact with aircraft at and around the airport, triggering the first wave of cancelations and delays and raising serious concerns about the state of the ATC system’s equipment.
The problem has been exacerbated by a shortage of controllers. United CEO Scott Kirby said last week in a letter to customers that over 20 percent of the FAA controllers overseeing Newark “walked off the job,” but the air traffic controllers union disputes this, saying the workers were exercising an option under current regulations to seek psychological help after a traumatizing experience.
Kirby cautioned travelers that the situation at Newark will probably not improve any time soon because there is “no way to resolve the near-term structural FAA staffing issues.”
Ongoing ATC Woes
The meltdown at Newark comes amid increased scrutiny of the nation’s air traffic control system. In January, a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Eagle flight over the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., killing 67 people. Reports suggest the air traffic control facility overseeing Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport was understaffed at the time. The crash also brought to light other near-misses between commercial jets and military helicopters in the same area.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy last week unveiled a raft of incentives, including cash payments, meant to encourage young people to become air traffic controllers and take on assignments in hard to staff regions. The package also aims to retain experienced air traffic controllers by paying them a bonus each year they continue working after becoming eligible for retirement, up until the mandatory retirement age of 56.
