The agency will continue flight limits until technology upgrades have been completed.
Runway at Newark Liberty International Airport. (Photo: Shutterstock | EQRoy)
The FAA has announced it will continue to limit flights at Newark Liberty International Airport through the end of October. Restrictions were initially imposed after a series of high-profile radio and radar outages at the Newark TRACON facility, which controls arrivals and departures at the airport.
The airport will not exceed 34 arrivals and 34 departures per hour, for up to 77 total hourly operations. The restrictions aim to maintain safety and alleviate flight delays, the FAA says.
“The confirmed reduced rates will maintain safety while alleviating excessive flight delays at the airport due to staffing and equipment challenges,” the FAA wrote in its order. “The early completion of runway construction at the airport that added to the delays will also contribute to a more efficient operation.”
United, by far the largest airline operating at the airport, has praised the limits, saying they will “help ensure that we can safely and reliably operate the flights that remain on the schedule.” The airline has cut some of its flights out of Newark, though it plans to raise that number with the rehabilitation of Newark’s third runway nearing completion.
That runway, known as 4L/22R, has been closed since April 15. It reopened to traffic on June 2, two weeks ahead of schedule, though it is being limited to departures only until navigation equipment that aids in landing can be tested for proper calibration.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Newark is set for multiple technology upgrades after the blackouts last month. The FAA is also rushing to stabilize ATC staffing levels.
Controllers have criticized the FAA’s 2024 decision to move Newark’s TRACON controllers from the New York Approach facility to Philadelphia. Though the FAA cited low staffing levels and a low training success rate, controllers worried that Philadelphia’s lagging technology would make failures more likely and increase safety risks.
“I don’t want to over promise and under deliver, but if everything goes well, and there can be problems when you test the line, but if it all goes well, we should be able to turn over to this new fiber line at the start of July,” Duffy said.
Duffy’s plan is to finish technology upgrades in Newark by the end of October.
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