Newark air traffic control suffers another outage overnight, FAA says

Published: Friday, May 9, 2025 at 4:50 pm

**Newark Airport Hit by Another Air Traffic Control Outage, Causing Delays**

Travelers flying in and out of Newark Liberty International Airport faced more disruptions today as another air traffic control outage caused widespread delays. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed a telecommunications outage at the Philadelphia TRACON Area C, which manages Newark's airspace, occurred around 3:55 a.m. on Friday, May 9th, lasting approximately 90 seconds.

This latest incident adds to a week of travel woes for Newark passengers. As of 11:30 a.m. Friday, the airport reported 74 canceled flights and nearly 250 delays, with an average delay time of about four hours. The outage occurred less than a day after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced plans to overhaul the U.S. air traffic control system, citing outdated equipment as a major contributor to recent problems.

Last week, a similar equipment failure caused a loss of radar and communication with planes in Newark's airspace for at least 30 seconds, prompting trauma leave for some air traffic controllers. Duffy has acknowledged the need for improvements, stating the situation is "frightening."

In response to the ongoing issues, United Airlines has been limiting flights to and from Newark. United CEO Scott Kirby stated that the airport currently cannot handle the scheduled number of flights due to FAA staffing issues. Transportation officials maintain that Newark airspace remains safe, but traffic is being slowed to manage the situation. Duffy expressed hope that the issues will be resolved by this summer, citing ongoing repairs and training of new controllers.

Keywords: Newark Airport, air traffic control outage, FAA, delays, canceled flights, Philadelphia TRACON, Sean Duffy, United Airlines, travel disruptions, Newark Liberty International Airport, air travel, flight delays, airport delays, telecommunications outage, air traffic controllers

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