Inefficient technology, staff deficits, and construction complications leading to chaos at Newark Airport
Updated: May 7, 2025 at 1:09 PM CDT
Grounded planes and frustrated passengers at Newark Liberty International Airport? Yeah, you bet! Hundreds of flights got delayed and canceled on Tuesday due to a combination of factors. Bad weather, inadequate infrastructure, staffing shortages, and a shutdown for renovations of the airport's busiest runway made for an explosive mix.
The cherry on top came on April 28, when a staggering radar and communication blackout at the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) lasted up to 90 seconds. This left air traffic controllers struggling to see or communicate with a plane, causing some of them to take a well-deserved break thanks to the stress and trauma.
The fallout was hard-hitting, with over 424 flights delayed on Monday and more than 160 flights canceled. By Tuesday, flight troubles didn't let up. More than 370 flights were delayed, and an eyebrow-raising 500 flights were canceled, according to FlightAware.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy didn't sugarcoat it during his appearance on Fox News' The Story with Martha MacCullum. He openly declared that outdated technology is the root cause of the chaos plaguing the nation's air traffic control systems. Lest we forget, he likened the current technology to an old-school flip phone – you can't update that, Martha!
Paul Rinaldi, Airlines for America's vice president of safety and operations, and a former controller, agreed with Duffy's analogy. "It's archaic when you think about the technology that's out there that's being used around the world," Rinaldi said. "He's exactly right. We have to upgrade the system."
Duffy is expected to make headlines again on May 8 with a monumental overhaul of U.S. air traffic control. The goal? Tackling the antiquated infrastructure that's been causing chronic delays and staff shortages across the country.
Rinaldi recently talked to NPR's A Martinez about the issues facing airlines, the FAA, and what steps should be taken to modernize U.S. air traffic systems.
Edited for brevity and clarity
Interview Highlights
Martinez: With the overhaul of airport technology coming up, what would be the crucial upgrade?
Rinaldi: There's multiple areas that Secretary Duffy needs to start addressing immediately. Obviously hiring more air traffic controllers would help right away and they're really focusing on putting around 3,000 air traffic controllers through the academy this year. Another priority is upgrading infrastructure – swapping out those pesky copper wires for fiber optics throughout the system. The Newark blackout, along with several other failures across the system, proves that these outdated wires can't hold their own.
Martinez: Is it fair to call the U.S air traffic control system like a flip phone?
Rinaldi: It's a very fair comparison. We're still using floppy disks to update our info systems, and we're still walking around with paper strips, scribbling notes that get passed from one controller to the next. It's just plain antiquated compared to the technology being used around the world. He's spot-on – we gotta upgrade the system.
Martinez: Why did it get this bad? Shouldn't people have known that the system was falling behind?
Rinaldi: Yeah, it's been decades in the making. Lots of players are to blame, including Congress, as they can't seem to stop threatening continuous government shutdowns. It's those shutdowns that continually destabilize the hiring, training, and modernization process.
Martinez: So, are we stuck in time with our air traffic control system as a result?
Rinaldi: Our air traffic control system is high-functioning, but it doesn't need to be interrupted by the constant threats of government shutdowns. It needs reliable, ongoing funding for modernization, ensuring the best, safest system for the American people.
Martinez: So the CEO of United Airlines said 20% of Newark controllers "walked off the job." With my air traffic controller background, is that accurate?
Rinaldi: The details aren't straightforward, but with unclear radar scopes and fuzzy communications, it's incredibly nerve-racking for air traffic controllers.
Martinez: As people keep flying, trust in the airline industry may not be as strong as it once was. Have you sensed a drop in trust?
Rinaldi: Aviation is still the safest form of transportation, so flying is still safe. However, delays in Newark are a result of construction and infrastructure issues, slowing down the system to prioritize safety for the flying public.
Copyright 2025 NPR
Sources
[1] House of Representatives
[2] Department of Transportation
[3] Modernization Proposals
[4] National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA)
- The Transportation Secretary is expected to address the outdated technology in the nation's air traffic control system, which he compared to an old-school flip phone, causing chronic delays and staff shortages.
- Paul Rinaldi, Airlines for America's vice president of safety and operations, argued that upgrading infrastructure by swapping out copper wires for fiber optics is crucial for modernizing the air traffic control system.
- Rinaldi also emphasized hiring more air traffic controllers and training them as a priority for the overhaul of airport technology.
- Inadequate infrastructure, staffing shortages, bad weather, and government shutdowns combined to make for an explosive mix, leading to flight delays and cancellations in Newark, as stated in the news.
- The average American traveler may perceive a drop in trust due to the flight delays and cancellations at Newark Liberty International Airport, but Rinaldi reassured that aviation remains the safest form of transportation, despite construction and infrastructure issues.
