Why Newark Air Traffic Control Crisis Has No Quick Fix

May 16, 2025 | njspotlightnews.org

On April 28, air traffic controllers temporarily lost radar and radio communication with planes flying into and out of Newark Liberty International Airport.

The equipment failure happened to controllers working at Area C of the Philadelphia TRACON, who are responsible for guiding flights entering and leaving Newark Airport.

The incident caused nearly half a dozen air traffic controllers in the Philadelphia-based facility to take a medical leave of absence, or “trauma leave,” which resulted in more than a thousand canceled flights. In addition to the incident, multiple air traffic control equipment outages in May have also contributed to thousands of delays and flight cancellations at Newark Liberty International Airport, one of the nation’s busiest airports.

Read More: Click Here

NJ SEED: The equipment failures at Newark Liberty International Airport are decades in the making. Attention to other “priorities” led to neglect and reliance on outdated technology to protect the flying public. Cutting edge technology is available, government needs to find the resources to immideatly begin the process of upgrading hardware and software as well as recruitment and training of air traffic control personnel.