Passengers traveling through Newark Liberty International Airport on Monday face cancellations and prolonged delays as air traffic disrupted there to the second week.
Low clouds prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to suspend departures from aircraft to Newark on Monday, causing four hours of delays and exacerbated travel chaos at one of the country’s busiest airports. More than 200 flights in and out of Newark were postponed Monday morning, according to Trafferaware.
The Philadelphia Air Traffic Control Center experienced equipment failures and staffing issues earlier last week, the FAA said. It is one of Newark's three runways closed, and the national air traffic control center has experienced staff shortages. United said last week it was forced to reduce round trip flights from Newark timeline 35 times a day.
The scene at the main United terminal in Newark on Monday was relatively calm, but travelers who canceled flights expressed frustration at being pointed to online customer service agents.
New York Senator Chuck Schumer called on Monday to investigate Newark’s problems, saying “real forensic looks” are needed for safety issues and outdated technology.
“To say that the turmoil at Newark Airport and the FAA is very small,” Minority Leader Mr. Schumer said in a press conference. “We're here because the FAA is really a mess.”
Newark's problem could be “if such a problem is not solved.” He accused of not imposing mismanagement and was slashed by the Trump administration on staffing issues, warning that other airports in the U.S. could encounter similar problems if not resolved.
New York and New Jersey's Port Authority at New York Airports and New York's Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport operators said Monday that the staff shortages at the Air Traffic Control Center should be blamed.
“The Port Authority has invested billions of dollars to modernize Newark freely, but these improvements depend on the equipped with a fully staffed federal air traffic system,” the Port Authority said. “We continue to urge the FAA to address ongoing staff shortages and accelerate the upgrade of long-term overdue technology, which continues to lead to delays in the United States’ busiest aviation corridor.”
Scott Kirby, CEO of Newark's largest airline, attributed the recent flight cancellation to equipment failures and air traffic controllers who have “quit their jobs.”
He added that, therefore, “there are dozens of shifted flights, hundreds of delayed and cancelled flights and the worst, and thousands of customers have disrupted travel plans.”
Manchester United sold about 68% of more than 3,300 scheduled departures in Newark this week, data from aeronautics data company Cirius shows.
It is unclear when the delays related to personnel and buildings will be cleared, and bad weather may cause headaches for travelers at airports in Newark and other subway areas.
Low clouds and rainwater may limit flights in and out of the area until mid-week. Monday's intensity may increase, with some thunderstorms. The shower opportunity will last until Wednesday.
Judson Jones,,,,, Niraj Chokshi and Mark Walker Contribution report.
