Newark hit by another ATC outage as flight delays keep piling up. Should you avoid the airport?
Another tech outage early Friday plagued the Federal Aviation Administration facility that governs airspace at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), the agency said, causing air traffic control to lose radar and communications for about 90 seconds.
It's the latest in a string of ATC-related equipment and staffing problems that have snarled travel at Newark, one of the three largest airports serving the New York City area.
Delays continued to pile up on Friday, with passengers facing ground delays of up to four hours, according to FAA data. That was after nearly half of all Newark-bound flights were delayed on Thursday, per FlightAware.
Amid the problems, United Airlines this week called for further, significant flight cutbacks at its major hub as summer travel loomed.
Flight delayed or canceled? Here's what to do next
Another FAA outage
Friday's outage caused another harrowing communications lapse at the FAA's Philadelphia air traffic control center that directs the flow of planes at EWR.
Fortunately, it happened just before 4 a.m. EDT on Friday when few planes were taking off or landing at the airport.
The communications outage came less than two weeks after another major equipment outage that proved so stressful for controllers that a handful went on leave afterward, which reduced already sparse staffing levels at the facility, contributing to the thousands of flight delays that have affected Newark passengers in recent weeks.
United calls for changes at EWR
Newark already faced capacity constraints because of a construction project on its busiest runway. It's also prone to spring thunderstorms known to disrupt packed flight schedules this time of year.
In a letter to employees this week, United CEO Scott Kirby said the Chicago-based carrier planned to ask the U.S. Department of Transportation to tighten restrictions on airlines at EWR.
Kirby said the FAA should reduce the number of hourly flights allowed at the airport by as much as 40% until the major runway project wraps up (by mid-June, if all goes as expected).
United calls for slot controls at Newark
This week, Kirby also called on the DOT to permanently reinstate slot restrictions at Newark similar to the regulations currently in place at nearby John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in New York.
That move would essentially cap the number of takeoffs and landings allowed at the airport and limit airlines to a set allotment of flights they'd have to use or forfeit.
United previously announced plans to temporarily reduce 35 daily round-trip flights from EWR amid the ongoing disruptions, arguing the airport simply can't handle its full schedule.
But other airlines have historically added flights when United has voluntarily reduced its schedule, airline executives argued on a call with reporters on Friday.
It was not immediately clear how seriously the Trump administration planned to consider United's request. (A DOT spokesperson did not immediately respond to TPG's request for comment.)
Newark had the FAA's tightest slot controls in place as recently as the mid-2010s. Presently, that "Level 3" designation (the highest level assigned to an airport) is held by three crowded U.S. airports where the FAA believes demand exceeds capacity: JFK, LGA and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) just outside of Washington, D.C.
Newark is currently designated a "Level 2" capacity-controlled airport, which places less stringent restrictions on the number of takeoffs and landings during peak periods.
Airport slots, explained: What are they, and how do they affect your flights?
ATC reforms proposed
As the travel mess continued to unfold at EWR this week, the Trump administration proposed sweeping upgrades to the nation's antiquated air traffic control equipment and facilities, much of which dates back a half-century or more.
Flanked by the CEOs of the largest U.S. airlines, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy on Thursday detailed a plan to replace radar and communications equipment, build new air traffic control centers and overhaul the hardware and software controllers use.
A project of this size would require congressional approval. On Thursday, a group of airlines, unions and top industry organizations asked the federal government to front more than $30 billion over the next three to four years to address the air traffic control problems.
What should you do if you're flying in or out of Newark?
But none of that — or the years it will take to get lagging air traffic control staffing back up to par — will be of much help in the coming months, including Memorial Day weekend, which is now just two weeks away.
On social media Friday, TPG founder Brian Kelly cautioned travelers against flying out of Newark "unless absolutely unavoidable until the situation is under control."
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Flight change opportunities
In the meantime, multiple airlines have issued travel waivers for passengers booked on Newark flights.
United, for instance, plans to waive change fees and fare differences (even on basic economy tickets) for customers who want to change their flights to nearby LGA or Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) — though the carrier has a far smaller presence at both of those airports than it does at Newark.
That waiver is set to run through at least May 23.
JetBlue and Alaska Airlines have also issued advisories allowing travelers some extra flexibility on flights to, from or through the airport.
Can you get a refund?
Under the DOT's refund policy, passengers whose flights are canceled or significantly delayed are entitled to a full refund if they choose not to fly.
While the policy wouldn't help passengers who accept rebooking on a later flight, it could be helpful for delayed passengers who decide to stay home instead of traveling — or who instead opt to book a train ticket, rent a car or fly on another airline.
What about compensation?
Airlines are less likely to pay for stranded passengers' hotel rooms or meals when a flight is canceled or delayed because of issues viewed as outside their control, such as bad weather or an air traffic control problem.
Credit cards with travel insurance
Some credit cards offer travel insurance protections that can help passengers recoup any unexpected costs, including hotel rooms and meals. Typically, the only stipulation is that travelers must have booked the trip using that card.
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