Newark Airport is facing the ninth delay and cancellation of delays and cancellations as the shortage of air traffic controllers continues. The rain has increased the problem.
Some flights saw delays within three hours, and there was another ground station. The airport reported at least 56 delays and nearly 100 cancellations Hundreds of flights were affected on Monday.
The union representing air traffic controllers said several members were traumatizing after equipment failure caused them to lose communication with the pilot last week.
U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is expected to announce details of a planned overhaul of the U.S.’s aging air traffic control system on Thursday.
"We will fundamentally change the appearance of air traffic control. We will build a brand new air traffic control system - from new telecom to new radar to new infrastructure. We are bringing new air traffic controllers," Duffy said in an interview Monday night. "This has been a problem for decades and we will solve it."
Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration said Newark airspace is safe, Reduce the speed of arrival and Staffing and equipment issues continue.
Why are there any delays at Newark Airport?
The problem still exists Why air traffic controllers are short in the Philadelphia Center responsible for the airspace in Newark, New Jersey.
The union said on Monday that equipment problems caused the controller to temporarily lose radar and communications with the aircraft last week. The union said that at one time, the controller could not see, listen or talk to the pilot for about 90 seconds.
However, Duffy said the power outage lasted only 30 seconds.
"Did the airplane crash? No. They have communication equipment that can see other air traffic," he said. "But it shows that we already have a fragile system that has to be fixed."
After the incident, about six controllers requested trauma leave, allowing them to work for up to 45 days in 45 days.
"The controller did not 'leave the job' because the media reported the media," the National Association of Air Traffic Controllers said in a statement. "The controller was absent under the Federal Employees Compensation Act due to the incident. The program covers all federal employees who were injured or experienced traumatic events at work."
FAA responds to delays in Newark Airport
The FAA also issued a statement on the matter, saying the outdated system is Injury to labor.
"For controllers, frequent equipment and telecommunications armistice can be stressful. Some controllers in Tracon, Philadelphia, have spent some time recovering from the pressure of recent multiple interruptions when they arrived and set off in Newark," the statement said. "While we cannot replace them quickly due to this highly professional profession, we continue to train controllers who will eventually be assigned to this busy airspace."
Both the Alliance and the FAA said they support Duffy’s efforts to modernize the system.
“We must take the best security technology into the hands of the controller as soon as possible,” the FAA wrote. “We are working to ensure that current telecommunications equipment is more reliable in the New York area by establishing more resilient and redundant configurations with local exchanges.”
Staffing issues are expected to last at least a few days. Experts say Newark airspace requires special certification, so you can't simply reassign the controller from another location.
Meanwhile, Senator Chuck Schumer asked the Department of Transportation Inspector General to investigate, and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy sent a letter to Duffy asking for support.
