FAA Announces New Measures to Address Newark Airport Disruptions

Agency says severe delays and cancellations are driven by staffing shortages, equipment issues, and ongoing runway construction.

Jack Daleo

Wednesday, May 07, 2025 at 01:43 PM ET

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Jack Daleo

An air traffic control tower at Newark Liberty International Airport [Credit: Wikimedia Commons]

Key Takeaways:

Newark Liberty International Airport is experiencing severe disruptions, including hundreds of delays and cancellations, caused by air traffic controller staffing shortages, critical equipment failures at the Philadelphia TRACON, and ongoing runway construction.
The FAA is taking immediate steps to address these issues, including technological and logistical upgrades at the Philadelphia TRACON (such as new fiberoptic wiring and a STARS hub) and increasing controller staffing.
These local problems highlight a broader national issue of an "incredibly old" air traffic control system and a significant nationwide shortage of ATC personnel, leading the Transportation Secretary to announce plans for a new, state-of-the-art infrastructure.

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The FAA on Wednesday announced it is taking “immediate steps” to alleviate severe disruptions at Newark Liberty International Airport (KEWR).

After a tumultuous weekend that saw 951 delays and 226 cancellations, per data from FlightAware, the airport on Monday entered its second week of operational challenges. On Tuesday alone it recorded another 374 delays and 150 cancellations. Flight activity at the airport over the past seven days is down 23 percent compared to the same week last year.