U.S. aviation authorities have suggested implementing a temporary cap on flight arrivals at Newark Liberty International Airport, limiting them to no more than 28 per hour following a series of technical failures involving radar and communications systems that caused significant disruptions in recent weeks.
This new plan is similar to a previous Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposal that would also restrict departures, bringing the total number of allowed operations to 56 per hour during ongoing runway construction at the airport.
In times when construction is paused, the FAA said it would permit up to 34 incoming flights per hour, equating to 68 total flights including departures. Daily construction work is expected to wrap up by June 15, though Saturday work will continue until year’s end, according to a statement issued Friday.
The proposal emerged after several days of discussions between FAA officials and representatives from major airlines including United Airlines Holdings Inc., Delta Air Lines Inc., and JetBlue Airways Corp. These talks focused on the immense pressure on air traffic controllers managing Newark’s busy traffic. Prior to these issues, the airport routinely handled more than 70 aircraft movements per hour during high-volume times.
“Reducing the number of flights scheduled at Newark will help ensure that we can safely and reliably operate the flights that remain on the schedule,” United said in a statement.
A final decision regarding the proposed flight caps is expected after May 28, following a public comment period.
The push for operational limits follows a series of alarming incidents related to outdated technology and staffing shortages in U.S. air traffic control centers. On April 28, radar screens at a Philadelphia-area facility went dark and radio systems failed temporarily, leaving controllers unable to monitor or communicate with aircraft flying through some of the nation’s busiest skies—including those heading to or from Newark—for roughly 90 seconds. A similar event occurred earlier this month.
To mitigate the risk of future outages, the FAA said it has started updating telecommunications systems and has introduced a temporary backup solution for added safety and reliability at Newark.
Just this week, another facility responsible for flights into Denver International Airport briefly lost access to multiple radio channels, though no injuries or accidents were reported in any of the incidents.
American Airlines Group Inc. said in a statement that the conversations with the FAA also covered challenges at other control centers nationwide, noting that these recurring issues “demonstrate the urgent need to staff up and modernize our air traffic control system.”
United Airlines, which operates the most flights out of Newark, had already reduced its schedule by 35 daily round-trip flights in response to ongoing disruptions stemming from the April 28 malfunction. Newark is United’s largest hub for international routes and a vital link in its domestic network, meaning delays at the airport often ripple through its entire system.
Despite the setbacks, United CEO Scott Kirby, along with FAA and U.S. Transportation Department officials, have maintained that operations at Newark remain safe for passengers.
According to the FAA, the division of the Philadelphia center responsible for Newark’s airspace has been running with just 63% of its required certified air traffic controllers.
{Matzav.com}