No end in sight: United, JetBlue expand Newark travel waivers as ATC delays mount
Editor's Note
Travel isn't getting any easier at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). As mass delays cascade into a second week, airlines are offering passengers flexibility to change flights throughout much of May.
And it's not clear when the disruptions might end.
Flight troubles ramped up last week following an outage of critical air traffic control equipment at the Philadelphia facility that governs EWR's airspace. Then, in the wake of that disruption, the Federal Aviation Administration said a large number of controllers went on leave — worsening an existing staffing shortage.
The combined problems have fueled mass delays at the airport — particularly for United Airlines, the dominant carrier at Newark, which said Friday it would indefinitely remove dozens of daily flights from its key New York-area hub.
And with construction closing off a key runway — and spring and summer thunderstorms routinely throwing a wrench in the airport's tightly packed flight schedule — the problems seem likely to plague passengers well into the busy summer travel season.
Flight disruptions cascade
Thousands of flights in and out of EWR have been affected by the disruptions dating back to last week. After a messy week that also upended travel plans on Saturday and Sunday, Newark on Monday saw close to half of all inbound planes face delays, according to data from FlightAware.
A day later, on Tuesday, the FAA at one point reported average delays at the airport sat at around four hours.
Hundreds of additional flights have been canceled over the past week.
United hit hardest
That includes 35 daily round trips from United, after CEO Scott Kirby on Friday announced the carrier would reduce its flying at the airport in hopes of preventing customers from facing even more significant disruptions.
In a letter to customers, Kirby referenced long-standing air traffic control staffing shortages, which, as TPG reported in February, have the FAA short-staffed by thousands of fully certified controllers.
"The long-simmering FAA challenges boiled over this week," Kirby wrote, citing recent equipment failures and noting that 20% of controllers "walked off the job" in recent days.
Air traffic controllers take leave after 'multiple recent outages'
In fact, the FAA on Monday confirmed that some controllers had taken time off from work to recover from the stress "of multiple recent outages."
That included a temporary loss of radar and communications last Monday at the FAA's key Philadelphia facility charged with directing the flow of air traffic at EWR, which left controllers "unable to see, hear or talk to" aircraft under their control, the nation's top air traffic controllers union told TPG.
"The controllers did not 'walk off the job,'" the National Air Traffic Controllers Association said in a statement, noting that air traffic controllers instead took leave under a policy that protects federal workers.
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy has advocated for overhauling the nation's air traffic control infrastructure and upping its controller hiring efforts — and this week said the Trump administration would announce new air traffic control reforms Thursday.
"It's unacceptable," Duffy wrote on social media last week about the recent outages. "We are working to harden the system. But this is why it's critical that we build an all-new air traffic control system."
Newark disruptions persist
In the meantime, though, what is clear is that the delays at Newark aren't subsiding — particularly as one of the airport's busiest runways for departures remains closed for construction until mid-June.
Longtime FAA veteran Michael McCormick, who spent decades in air traffic control in the New York region, had one reassurance for travelers: "I would not categorize it as unsafe," McCormick, now a faculty member at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, told TPG.
"However," McCormick warned, "It would be very frustrating for passengers."
United issues travel waivers
Travelers with trips already booked to, from or through Newark have some options to make changes.
United extended a travel advisory that allowed passengers with trips booked through May 17 to make changes, including flying out of nearby LaGuardia Airport (LGA) — where it operates flights, but with a more limited schedule than at its Newark hub.
That flexibility extended even to ordinarily restrictive basic economy tickets.
JetBlue is waiving change and cancellation fees for Newark travelers through the month of May. We should note, the carrier actually has its largest New York-region presence at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
Should you book flights to or from Newark?
Even beyond this week, travelers will surely question whether they can count on flights to and from Newark to depart and arrive on time over the coming months.
United certainly has its doubts — a big reason why the carrier decided to reduce its schedule at the airport, with no timetable on how long the removal of nearly three-dozen daily flights will last.
"It's disappointing to make further cuts to an already reduced schedule at Newark," Kirby wrote Friday, "but since there is no way to resolve the near-term structural FAA staffing issues, we feel like there is no other choice in order to protect our customers."
So, what should customers do amid those concerns about delays at Newark?
Pick a different connecting airport
If you're booking a flight on United and know you'll have to make a connection somewhere, vet your options. If United was offering me a connection at Newark — or an alternative itinerary routed through, say, its Dulles International Airport (IAD) hub near Washington — I'd probably opt for the latter, at the moment, if the price was comparable.
Plan proactively: Nonstop and early flights
If I were going to fly through Newark right now, I'd plan proactively.
I'd book the earliest departure of the day, which is far less likely to be affected by thunderstorms. Stormy weather tends to exacerbate air traffic control staffing hurdles, since it complicates the departure and arrival schedules.
In fact, for that reason, selecting early-morning flights is a good rule of thumb throughout the peak thunderstorm season — even if it does mean your alarm goes off at the crack of dawn.
Specific to EWR, I'd opt for nonstop flights out of the airport over the coming weeks so that, even if I got delayed by an hour or two, I wouldn't risk missing a connecting flight in another city.
Book with a credit card that has travel insurance
Weather and air traffic control staffing are both factors typically deemed "outside the airline's control," which means your airline likely wouldn't be on the hook to pay if you get stranded and stuck in a hotel overnight.
That's where a credit card that has travel insurance protections can come in handy, by allowing you to claim reimbursement for unexpected costs due to a travel disruption.
Just remember: Typically, you have to book your trip with that card in order to make a successful claim.
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