Passengers traveling through the Newark Airport still faced with delays from communication outages since the month of April 28, 2025.
An air traffic control system malfunction occurred at Newark Liberty International Airport in the early hours of April 28, 2025. Radar and communication capabilities were lost for 90 seconds due to a burned copper wire, which left approaching pilots in a state of uncertainty and revealed the vulnerability of its aviation infrastructure.
The psychological impact of the outage was profound. Several air traffic controllers from the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON), responsible for Newark’s airspace, took extended trauma leave under the Federal Employees Compensation Act. This act provides paid leave for federal employees who suffer job-related traumatic injuries. The absence of these controllers exacerbated existing staffing shortages, leading to widespread flight delays and cancellations.
The incident underscored the outdated nature of the FAA‘s infrastructure. Despite receiving over $170 million in federal funding since 2022, Newark Airport continues to rely on antiquated technology, including copper wiring and even floppy disks. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy criticized the lack of modernization and pledged a comprehensive overhaul of the air traffic control infrastructure, including upgrades to telecommunications and radar.
The outage had immediate operational consequences. United Airlines, which handles approximately 75% of Newark’s traffic, canceled 35 daily roundtrip flights to mitigate customer disruption and address capacity limitations. The airline’s CEO, Scott Kirby, criticized the FAA’s longstanding infrastructure issues and emphasized the need for urgent modernization.
Senator Chuck Schumer called for a forensic investigation into the crisis, attributing the situation to obsolete technology and budget cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency. The FAA acknowledged multiple outages and the stress placed on their workforce by outdated systems. Efforts to modernize the system are underway, including a recruitment push for air traffic controllers, with plans to hire 2,000 new personnel in 2025.
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