The incidents have raised big questions about how the air traffic control mess in Newark got as bad as it did, and what it will take to fix an aging air traffic control system.
And they prompted one air traffic controller to share their perspective in an interview with NPR this week.
In a sense, Newark is suffering from the same problems as the entire air traffic control system in the U.S.: decades of underinvestment in aging communications systems, and a staffing shortage of more than 3,000 air traffic controllers nationwide.
And United CEO Scott Kirby put some of the blame on air traffic controllers in a public message to customers.
“What we must do now is modernize the system, give the air traffic controllers the equipment they deserve, and not blame them for the issues that they’re seeing,” said Nick Daniels, the president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, in an interview.
Before radar and communications systems at the facility that controls the airspace around Newark Liberty International Airport went down, there were warning signs, an air traffic controller on duty at the time said.
They were still shocked at first.
It was similar to incredulity. The controller, who works in Philadelphia TRACON Area C, which oversees the airspace surrounding Newark, said, “Then it was just like fury, honestly, like how could they have us working this, you know?”. They requested that NPR refrain from using their name because they are not permitted to speak in public and they fear reprisals from their employer, the Federal Aviation Administration.
In an interview this week, the controller stated, “We had known that our equipment was unreliable because we had experienced other outages before that point.”. “Controllers handling Newark asked the FAA to reduce the number of planes in the airspace because those earlier incidents were so concerning,” the controller says.
“They would say no when we asked for fewer airplanes,” they said.
Regulators are now giving those worries more thought. The number of flights into and out of Newark was reduced by roughly 15% this week when the FAA set a limit of 56 per hour.
The new restrictions in Newark follow a terrifying month for both passengers and the air traffic controllers who oversee the surrounding airspace at one of the busiest airports in the country. At least three times since April 28, radar and communication systems have malfunctioned, once for up to 90 seconds.
The incidents have brought up important issues, such as how Newark’s air traffic control mess got so bad and what it will take to fix an outdated system. Additionally, they inspired one air traffic controller to express their viewpoint in an interview with National Public Radio this week.
“We’re all stressed out, overworked, and understaffed. The controller declared, “Our equipment isn’t working.”. Simply put, it is not sustainable. “.”.
Sean Duffy, the secretary of transportation, maintains that slowing down the rate of arrivals and departures in Newark will be beneficial.
“The system seems secure to me. During a Senate committee hearing last week, Duffy stated, “The system has several redundancies that keep people safe. “Safety is more important than efficiency. “,”.
Newark is experiencing issues that are similar to those facing the U.S. air traffic control system as a whole. A. : a shortage of over 3,000 air traffic controllers nationwide, and decades of underinvestment in outdated communications systems.
This controller, however, claims that the recent issues are specific to Newark and that many of them are caused by the FAA’s decision to relocate the air traffic controllers who operate in Newark’s airspace from Long Island, New York. Yep. to Philadelphia the previous year.
FAA-wide, we have problems. Those are accurate facts. The FAA’s decision to relocate us outside of New York, however, was a self-inflicted circumstance. They claimed that these problems did not exist when they were in New York. “You’re attempting to convey the idea that Newark’s issues are caused by the FAA’s disarray. No, the reason for this issue is that you unplanned our move from New York to Newark. “.”.
The controller’s claims were not directly addressed by the FAA. In order to meet demand in some of the busiest airspace in the country, the agency claims that control of the Newark airspace had to be moved to Philadelphia.
Michael Whitaker, a former FAA administrator during the Biden administration, stated at a press conference in November that “this has been meant to get us healthy on a staffing level.”. Through this move, we can recruit and train controllers in Philadelphia, reducing the stress in New York and increasing controller staffing levels. “,”.
The FAA had been discussing for years the possibility of transferring control of the Newark airspace from New York TRACON on Long Island, which is in charge of the airspace surrounding John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia Airport. Other major airports in the area include Kennedy International Airport.
Because of the low training success rate at the Long Island facility, the FAA was having problems recruiting enough controllers to staff it, the agency said. Additionally, the controllers there regularly made a lot of money working overtime.
Because Philadelphia has a lower cost of living and is easier to recruit, the FAA ultimately chose to relocate the air traffic controllers who oversee Newark to Philadelphia. The organization encouraged controllers to relocate by offering bonuses of $100,000. However, some people objected to the idea because they had relatives and friends in New York.
“I understand why they’re saying, let’s move it somewhere else,” the controller said to NPR. However, I think their approach was incredibly haphazard. To be honest, it was incredibly careless. Additionally, as the controllers they moved, it was somewhat inhumane to us as individuals. “,”.
Last summer, two dozen of the 33 certified air traffic controllers who had been working the Long Island airspace around Newark moved to Philadelphia.
“There were technical concerns about the move from the start,” one of the controllers told NPR.
“We would start asking them questions, so it didn’t seem like they had fully considered every aspect of the move and how things would operate. “How are you hooking this up? How is this going to work? What about the equipment?” they asked, and we didn’t receive satisfactory responses.
The controller claims that they made an effort to maintain an open mind. However, they were taken aback by how badly it had disappeared.
The controller declared, “Even the most pessimistic members of the union did not anticipate such a catastrophe.”. “It has been a complete mess. “..”.
According to the FAA, it is developing a quick plan to replace the copper wires that are still in use in some locations with fiber optic lines. It is also installing new backup systems to assist with technical problems in Newark.
Though the training process for new air traffic controllers takes years, Secretary Duffy has announced a plan to “supercharge” the hiring process. Additionally, Philadelphia has a particularly severe controller shortage, with some controllers taking trauma leave to recuperate from the psychological effects of the recent outages.
“Our limit has been reached. Our families are telling us to take a vacation. According to our friends, you don’t appear to be doing well. According to the controller we spoke with, “We are all at that point.”. It’s evident that people are losing it. People’s suffering is evident when they arrive at work. Adult men have sobbed during their breaks in the parking lot due to the conditions at work. “.”.
Airlines have been forced to cancel, postpone, or reroute hundreds of flights due to a combination of staffing shortages and technical outages. United Airlines, which has a significant hub in Newark, has been disproportionately impacted by the issues. Additionally, Scott Kirby, the CEO of United, publicly blamed air traffic controllers for a portion of the problem.
“Sadly, more than 20 percent of the FAA controllers for EWR quit their jobs, which made the technology problems worse,” Kirby wrote.
The air traffic controller union contests the claim that any air traffic controllers quit their jobs, arguing that they have the right to take a break before returning to work on malfunctioning equipment.
In an interview, Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, stated, “What we need to do now is update the system, provide the air traffic controllers with the tools they need, and not hold them accountable for the problems they’re experiencing.”.
Additionally, Kirby’s remarks were criticized by other air traffic controllers.
When the Newark airspace controller told NPR, “I don’t expect for anyone to weep over us,”. “We are paid more to do this than many others. However, we endure tremendous stress on a daily basis. “,”.
Aviation experts say it’s safe to fly into and out of Newark since these recent outages. Transportation Secretary Duffy, however, claims that he had suggested that his wife change her flight from Newark to LaGuardia because she needed to get there on time, not because it was dangerous.
They also refused to use the airport, the Newark controller told NPR.
