WASHINGTON—The Federal Aviation Administration said a series of issues prompted it to dramatically slow traffic at Newark Liberty Airport on Monday, prompting United Airlines to divert at least 35 flights to other airports.
United Airlines, the largest carrier at the airport just outside New York City, said an FAA equipment malfunction caused a significant disruption, and it expects cancellations and delays for the rest of the day due to FAA staffing issues.
Flights were diverted to numerous airports on the U.S. East Coast. Some diversions involved transoceanic flights from Europe being moved to smaller airports.
The FAA said the issue was first prompted by telecommunications and radar equipment issues at Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control, which guides aircraft in and out of Newark. Both have been resolved, but now there are staffing issues at Philadelphia impacting flights, the FAA said.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association had no comment.
The FAA canceled a ground stop later on Monday afternoon, but hours after the problems began departures for Newark were still being delayed on average by more than three and a half hours, while departures were being delayed by an average of 48 minutes.
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The FAA last year relocated control of the Newark, New Jersey, airspace area to Philadelphia to address staffing and congested New York City area traffic.
It also extended cuts to minimum flight requirements at congested New York City-area airports through October 2025, citing air traffic controller staffing shortages.
Under minimum flight requirements, airlines can lose their takeoff and landing slots at congested airports if they do not use them at least 80 percent of the time. The FAA’s waiver allows airlines to fly fewer flights and still retain slots.
The FAA is about 3,500 controllers short of targeted staffing. A persistent shortage of controllers has delayed flights and, at many facilities, controllers are working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks.
United has previously criticized FAA delays at its New Jersey hub even on good weather days. In November, it was forced to reduce traffic there because of low FAA staffing on a dozen days disrupting more than 343,000 United travelers.
Newark has suffered flight disruptions for years, and CEO Scott Kirby has sharply criticized the FAA performance.
By David Shepardson
