A technological disruption caused a temporary loss of radar and communication systems for air traffic controllers at Newark Liberty International Airport early Friday morning. This incident marks the second such failure within two weeks at a major transportation center in the United States.
The disruption at the Philadelphia air-traffic control center happened on Friday at 3:55 a.m. Eastern Time, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, and it persisted for approximately 90 seconds.
Once, an air traffic controller informed a FedEx pilot saying, “Our screens have gone completely dark once more. If you’re concerned about this issue, reach out to your airline and see if they can apply some pressure to resolve these problems,” as recorded in the communication between air traffic control.
Controllers additionally lost communication with aircraft, and their radar screens turned blank due to a technical system failure.
in late April
The latest issue further highlights the ongoing difficulties faced by the facility responsible for managing arrivals at Newark. The FAA has mentioned that they are accelerating efforts to implement technological upgrades for the airport’s air traffic control operations.
About a quarter of flights flying into and out of Newark airport Friday morning were delayed as of noon, according to flight tracker FlightAware. About 10% of flights both departing and arriving at the airport were canceled.
Announcements placed on the FAA’s website mentioned weather conditions, restrictions because of ongoing runway work, and limitations with air traffic control personnel. Delays were also experienced at the New York area’s LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International Airports.
In April, a 90-second failure of the radar system at the facility caused significant disruptions to flights affecting tens of thousands of travelers across the U.S. Following this incident in late April, some air traffic controllers applied for brief leaves due to trauma, which worsened an existing shortage of staff.
U.S. Transport Secretary Sean Duffy on Thursday
outlined a plan
To reconstruct the U.S. air-traffic control system, which he mentioned urgently needs significant improvements. He stated that this task might take around three to four years and would necessitate several billion dollars in financial support from Congress.
Some proposed changes that could boost air-traffic operations supporting Newark include
replacing copper telecommunications links with fiber-optic technology and eventually setting up a hub for processing radar data at the Philadelphia facility.
United Airlines, the biggest airline at Newark, last week said it would
cut 35 daily round-trip flights
At the airport due to insufficient staffing among controllers, the cuts represented approximately 10% of the carrier’s operations at the East Coast hub.
The airline contends that there are presently an excessive number of flights at Newark due to limitations imposed by air traffic control. They are urging the FAA to strictly manage the volume of planes at Newark similar to how they handle congestion at other major airports around New York City.
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