FAA Tells Airlines to Cut Back on Newark Airport Flights

Aviation remains the safest mode of transportation in the U.S., but for it to remain so, serious upgrades need to happen now,

said the letter, citing a 2023 independent review that raised safety concerns

When all the redundancies break down, ... those are the scary situations where the stress level goes up and where the safety truly is compromised and fatalities can happen.”

said Riley

It’s clear that issues with communication and surveillance equipment are both frequent and operationally significant,

said Timothy Johnson Sr., an assistant professor of aviation at Hampton University and a former air traffic controller and training manager for the US Air Force

The flying public should not have to think about that when they get on an airplane, whether the equipment is going to work,

said Dave Riley, who worked as an air traffic controller for more than 30 years and said the reports identified by CNN were troubling

This is a systemic issue we have now for years. I hope someone will read this and make proper corrections,

the controller wrote in February

If these type of events happen once it’s one too many. Controllers were put in harms way and took drastic measures to maintain some type of order and safety to the flying public,

a controller wrote in September 2021,

When radio equipment or communication lines are subpar, a controller’s workload increases dramatically,

said Aaron Whittle, a former air traffic controller for the Air Force and a professional practice assistant professor in the aviation technology department at Utah State University

Our system is outdated and showing its age,

the FAA said in its statement

It could’ve been horrible for everyone involved,

the same controller wrote

We do our best with what we have,

said Whittle, who insists that flying remains the safest way to travel

We run into this same issue every single day. It’s only a matter of time before there’s an accident with an aircraft that we can’t talk to or find the right radio settings in time to save,

one controller wrote last year

This is a massive sector, there are mountains, this is totally unsafe and it’s going to get someone killed,

wrote another in 2023, saying

I first started controlling in 1991, and we are using the same communication equipment now. Since then I’ve gotten a cell phone, which has been updated multiple times,

she said

Morale is low right now when you’re dealing with the pressure and scrutiny that’s going on in the aviation system right now, with low staffing in every one of your facilities,

Daniels said

Right now we operate a system with 10,800 hard-working American men and women,

Daniels said

We’re expecting flight numbers to grow week by week throughout the summer, with the peak at the end of July and six more 54,000+ flight days before the end of August,

the FAA said in a statement

They're the biggest player at Newark,

he said

Sean Duffytransportation Secretary

They're the biggest player at Newark, and ... most of (the airlines) will agree (to the cuts). And then you might have to do a little extra push at the FAA to get the numbers that you need."

Asked how United Airlines , which has a large hub at Newark and is the dominant carrier, would be impacted, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told CNBC

Our goal is to relieve the substantial inconvenience to the traveling public from excessive flight delays due to construction, staffing challenges, and recent equipment issues, which magnify as they spread through the National Airspace System,

Chris Rocheleau, the acting administrator of the F.A.A., said in a statement

Reducing the number of flights scheduled at Newark will help ensure that we can safely and reliably operate the flights that remain on the schedule, which is why we proactively reduced our schedule last month,

the airline said in statement