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Newark Liberty International Airport experienced another disruption Monday when a brief two-second radio frequency loss occurred at 11:35 a.m. at the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facility, which manages Newark’s air traffic.
Although all aircraft remained safely separated, the incident led to average flight delays of 23 minutes. This outage adds to a series of intermittent failures traced back to April 28. Despite recent facility upgrades intended to prevent further issues following a May 11 radar error, problems persist. The continued disruptions are primarily due to outdated technology and staffing shortages plaguing air traffic services at Newark.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has acknowledged the recurring issues and is investigating the latest outage. In response to ongoing concerns, the FAA plans to reduce airport traffic to 28 arrivals per hour to facilitate runway construction. This work is scheduled daily until June 15 and subsequently every Saturday through the year’s end.
Staffing shortages have compounded the problem. The Philadelphia TRACON facility, responsible for Newark’s air traffic, currently operates with only 24 certified controllers, falling short of the target of 38. Some controllers are on stress leave following the April incident. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has pledged action, criticizing the prior administration’s handling of air control transitions.
“The technology that we are using is old. That’s what is causing the outages and delays we are seeing at Newark,” Duffy said on X. “If we don’t act, we will start to see these issues across the national airspace. That’s why I’m announcing a plan next week to build an all-new air traffic control system.”
Newark Airport reportedly ‘lost radio frequencies’ today for the third time in the last two weeks. pic.twitter.com/JriwhJkoqU
— FactPost (@factpostnews) May 19, 2025
Airlines have felt the impact of these disruptions. United Airlines, which operates the most flights out of Newark, has canceled 35 daily round-trip flights since early May due to the ongoing issues. CEO Scott Kirby cited safety concerns and technological failures at the FAA as reasons for the move. The disruptions were exacerbated by 20% of Newark’s FAA air traffic controllers walking off the job and ongoing construction closing a runway at the airport.
The situation remains under close scrutiny, with further developments anticipated as the FAA implements its proposed changes.
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