The basics:

• Gov. Murphy asks DOT to prioritize Newark in air traffic upgrades
• Controllers lost radar, comms with planes during April 28 outage
• FAA, NATCA cite aging infrastructure, staff shortages
• Newark delays expected as safety remains top priority

As delays and cancellations continue to upend travel at Newark Liberty International Airport, the political heat is ratcheting up.

Gov. Phil Murphy sent a letter May 5 to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The correspondence laid out his concerns as well as acknowledged the outdated technology and air traffic controller staffing issues. Meanwhile, Murphy also applauded Duffy for his efforts to “supercharge” the air traffic controller workforce and upgrade technology.

“Decades of underinvestment in the maintenance of critical air traffic control infrastructure, delays in upgrading to modern 21st century air traffic control technology, and inadequate air traffic control staffing have resulted in a frail system nationwide,” Murphy wrote.

“The FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] has stated that American airspace is short 3,000 air traffic controllers and I appreciate your efforts to retain and hire additional controllers. As FAA works to address the yearslong shortfalls, I urge you to prioritize the region, the busiest airspace in the nation, by immediately addressing Philadelphia TRACON Area C staffing levels and developing a plan to address chronic staffing shortages at New York TRACON,” Murphy continued.

“I would appreciate transparency as you work with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) to develop targets and milestones on staffing and welcome outreach as the process moves forward.”

Lost transmission

Reports surfaced Monday that air traffic controllers serving EWR dealt with an outage of their system in late April.

“On Monday, April 28, air traffic controllers in Area C of the Philadelphia TRACON, who are responsible for separating and sequencing aircraft in and out of Newark Airport, temporarily lost radar and communications with the aircraft under their control, unable to see, hear or talk to them,” NATCA told NJBIZ in a statement. “The controllers did not ‘walk off the job’ as it has been reported by the media.

“Due to the event, the controllers took absence under the Federal Employees Compensation Act. This program covers all federal employees that are physically injured or experience a traumatic event on the job.”

NATCA described these controllers as dedicated, American, hard-working employees – who are the foundation of the air traffic control system.

“These controllers and the thousands of other aviation safety professionals represented by NATCA ensure the safe and efficient movement of millions of passengers and tons of cargo through our dynamic airspace every day. These professionals ensure the safe movement of aircraft through the National Airspace System as a primary goal,” the statement continued.

“This is why NATCA supports Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s efforts to upgrade and modernize our nation’s air traffic control systems and infrastructure.”

Expect delays

In a Monday evening appearance on Fox News, Duffy confirmed the scary incident.

“We have really old infrastructure in America. It hasn’t been updated in the last 30, 40 years,” Duffy told Laura Ingraham. He added that the Biden administration should have dealt with it – in addition to accusing them of doing nothing. “The primary communication line went down. The backup line didn’t fire. And so for 30 seconds, we lost contact.”

Duffy said that planes were not going to crash. Additionally, he noted that they have communication devices and also can see other air traffic in their GPS.

“But it’s a sign that we have a frail system in place – and it has to be fixed,” said Duffy. “So, there’s delays now at Newark. Well, if you’re driving down the road at 70 miles per hour and you get white paint on your windshield, you slow down. So, we’ve slowed the traffic down at Newark. There’s a runway that’s under construction. Our primary goal is to make sure people are safe.

“When you have an incident like this – both lines now work, Laura – you want to make sure that people are safe,” he continued. “So, you just have less departures out of the airport until we feel comfortable and safe that the system isn’t going to go down again.”

144 million passengers

In a May 5 statement, the FAA said that the antiquated air traffic control system is affecting the workforce.

“As @SecDuffy has said, we must get the best safety technology in the hands of controllers as soon as possible. We are working to ensure the current telecommunications equipment is more reliable in the New York area by establishing a more resilient and redundant configuration with the local exchange carriers. In addition, we are updating our automation system to improve resiliency. The FAA will continue to be transparent with the public about the status of Newark and every airport at http://fly.faa.gov,” the agency wrote in a post on X.

FAA statement about @EWRairport flight operations:

Our antiquated air traffic control system is affecting our workforce. As @SecDuffy has said, we must get the best safety technology in the hands of controllers as soon as possible. We are working to ensure the current…

— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) May 5, 2025

Pointing to the April 28 incident, the FAA said that frequent equipment and telecommunications outages can be stressful for controllers.

“Some controllers at the Philadelphia TRACON who work Newark arrivals and departures have taken time off to recover from the stress of multiple recent outages,” the FAA said.

“While we cannot quickly replace them due to this highly specialized profession, we continue to train controllers who will eventually be assigned to this busy airspace. When staffing or equipment issues occur, the FAA will ensure safety by slowing the rate of arrivals into the airport. We will keep the public updated as we work through these issues.”

World Cup worries

“As you work with Congress to fund additional investments in air traffic management systems, the New Jersey-New York region should be prioritized for technology and facility upgrades to help the more than 144 million passengers coming through Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) operated annually,” said Murphy in his letter. “We expect millions of additional passengers next year as we prepare to host the World Cup Finals and must avoid additional disruptions or strains on the system.

“I thank you for your attention to these important matters. I stand ready to mobilize my fellow governors to advance your efforts to ensure the safety of travelers in our region’s airports.”

Please stay with NJBIZ for the very latest on this developing situation.