United Airlines has announced a significant reduction in its flight schedule at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, following a week of substantial delays affecting thousands of passengers. The airline's CEO, Scott Kirby, attributed these disruptions to ongoing issues with air traffic controller staffing and technology problems within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The decision to cut 35 roundtrip flights per day, which represents about 10% of United's daily operations at its Newark hub, comes after more than 300 flights were delayed on Friday alone. This added to a series of over 1,400 delays and cancellations earlier in the week, as reported by flight-tracking website FlightAware.
Kirby expressed his regret over the need to make further cuts to the already reduced schedule at Newark. However, he emphasized that the airline had no viable alternative given the persistent FAA staffing shortages. According to Kirby, approximately 20% of air traffic controllers for Newark recently left their positions following multiple technology failures. This exacerbated an already chronic understaffing issue at the facility, which is now unable to manage the existing volume of flights.
The FAA acknowledged in an advisory that staffing shortages were causing delays at Newark. In response, Kirby called for the agency to implement flight restrictions similar to those at other congested airports, such as New York’s LaGuardia Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C., to better manage capacity.
The FAA and the Transportation Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and the air traffic controllers’ union declined to provide a statement. Efforts to alleviate congestion at Newark included moving air traffic controllers to Philadelphia from a New York facility last year, but staffing remains an issue.
In a discussion with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Kirby commended the Trump administration for its commitment to investing in and upgrading the aging air traffic control infrastructure across the United States. Meanwhile, United Airlines disclosed that FAA technology outages, along with runway construction and adverse weather conditions, were responsible for the recent disruptions, which led to the diversion of at least 21 flights.
Newark Airport is recognized as one of the most congested in the nation, and United has repeatedly criticized the shortage of air traffic controllers. The airline has previously reduced its Newark schedule due to similar challenges. The Transportation Department, acknowledging the long-standing issue, recently introduced new incentives to address the air traffic controller staffing shortages, a situation exacerbated by training delays during the Covid-19 pandemic.
To accommodate affected passengers, United Airlines announced it would waive change fees or fare differences for those impacted by the disruptions at Newark. This move aims to ease the inconvenience faced by travelers during this period of operational adjustments.