NEWARK, N.J. (AP) 鈥 Flight delays and cancellations persisted at Newark Liberty International Airport Monday, and the Federal Aviation Administration says some air traffic controllers were taking time off to destress from recent equipment and telecommunications outages.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called for an investigation an air traffic controller shortage and thick cloud cover.
Schumer, a Democrat from New York, said he wants an inspector general’s investigation into the delays and cancellations to prevent them from getting worse or spreading. New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy called the delays 鈥渃ompletely and utterly unacceptable” in a post on X, and said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is 鈥渃ommitted鈥 to hiring more air traffic controllers.
The delays at the busy airport outside New York City made headlines over the weekend as United Airlines said it was cutting 35 daily flights from its schedule.
As of Monday, a combination of staffing and cloud cover.
Here’s a closer look at what to know about the delays.
What’s behind the delays at Newark?
The airport faced disruptions last week as well.
United CEO Scott Kirby said in a letter to customers over the weekend that the technology used to manage planes at the New Jersey airport failed more than once in recent days.
The flight delays, cancellations and diversions that the equipment problems caused were compounded when more than one-fifth of Newark鈥檚 traffic controllers 鈥渨alked off the job,鈥 he said.
The FAA issued a statement Monday saying some controllers who work on flight arrivals and departures from Newark have taken time off to recover from stress associated with recent outages.
鈥淥ur antiquated air traffic control system is affecting our workforce,鈥 the FAA said.
Faulting the alleged failure to address 鈥渓ong-simmering鈥 challenges related to the air-traffic control system, United Airlines cut 35 daily flights from its Newark schedule starting Saturday.
Messages seeking comment were left with the air traffic controllers labor union and the federal Transportation Department, which oversees the FAA.
What’s the broader issue with air traffic control?
The Trump administration has said an air traffic control system .
The administration says it鈥檚 been trying to the air traffic controller workforce and address the . U.S. Transportation Secretary last week announced a program to recruit new controllers and give existing ones incentives not to retire.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association, a workers鈥 union, said at the time that those moves could help address staffing shortages, but it also said the system is 鈥 for technology and infrastructure upgrades.鈥
Uncertainty at play?
United鈥檚 decision to pare back its flight schedule in Newark comes at an already uncertain period for U.S. airlines. Potential customers across the industry are reconsidering whether to fly for work or for vacation given all the unknowns about what will do to .
Uncertainty is so high that United recently made the unusual move of offering two separate forecasts for how it could perform financially this year: .
flies to 76 U.S. cities and 81 international destinations from Newark.
