In the last week, Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey endured many major delays and cancellations, with predictions these may continue into next week should various issues and factors persist. The airport first suffered from a series of system outages April 28, in which air traffic control screens went dark for between 60 and 90 seconds.

During this brief outage, air traffic control recordings reveal concerning statements. One pilot was recorded asking the controller, “Approach, are you there?” The controller did not respond. A United Airlines flight coming from New Orleans (MSY) was also recorded trying to radio the controller five times before finally receiving a response.

According to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, controllers lost the primary communication, and the backup line did not immediately take over, resulting in chaos. Several controllers were so shaken by the incident, they took medical leave. Due to the nature of their job, controllers are required to be evaluated by a doctor before returning to work.

Following the outage, the Federal Aviation Administration issued ground delays and stops at the airport. CBS News New York reported arriving flights that day were delayed for as long as six hours, while departing flights experienced four-hour delays. On May 6, FlightAware reported 100 cancellations and 194 delays. As of press time on May 7, the airport already delayed 24 flights and cancelled 84.

“Our antiquated air traffic control system is affecting our workforce,” the FAA released in a statement. “As Secretary Duffy has said, we must get the best safety technology in the hands of controllers as soon as possible. We are working to ensure the current telecommunications equipment is more reliable in the New York area by establishing a more resilient and redundant configuration with the local exchange carriers. In addition, we are updating our automation system to improve resiliency.”

The FAA not only blames the chaos on equipment outages but also staffing shortages. The FAA instituted a “flow constrained area,” which is a defined region of airspace, flight filters and time intervals used to identify flights subject to a constraint. This happens when capacity is limited, resulting in ground delays.

The 12^th-busiest airport in the United States is also currently in an Airspace Flow Program, a traffic management program meant to assist staff in handling the demand of flights coming and going.

Adding to the delays and chaos is a string of bad storms from New York and runway construction currently underway at EWR. The airport fully closed one of its three runways April 15 as part of a $121 million project.

Did the outage affect you? Have you experienced delays or cancellations due to ATC staffing shortages in recent months? Do you or someone you know work in ATC? Email us at letters@globaltravelerusa.com. Please include your full name and location.