Newark airport in chaos as flights are grounded due to staff shortages
Newark Airport has been hit by yet more chaos today as the New Jersey travel hub has been forced to ground all flights with immediate effect due to staff shortages
Travellers with flights scheduled at Newark Airport are bracing for delays and cancellations after the major international travel hub announced an immediate halt to all flights.
The grounding of outbound flights was due to a shortage of essential staff needed to operate the airport runway, as stated by the Federal Aviation istration's Air Traffic Control System Command Center.
Since federal funding cuts in January, a significant number of ATC workers have left their posts, resulting in a severe staffing shortfall. Newark Liberty International Airport has been plagued by these issues for months, with the FAA frequently halting flights due to repeated technical glitches with Air Traffic Control equipment.
President Trump even weighed in on the matter in May, saying, "I fly out of Newark all the time," attempting to calm travellers' concerns.
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With this major grounding, those set to depart on Wednesday, June 4, from Newark were cautioned that the stoppage is expected to last for some time, with all inbound flights to Newark also grounded.
Arrivals are facing disruptions too, with current reports indicating approximately 30-minute delays before landing. A traffic management program has been implemented by the FAA for those scheduled to arrive at Newark Airport.
This week, Trump's Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a significant investment at the airport to address the numerous problems engers have encountered in recent months.
On Monday, he held a press conference to announce that another runway had opened two weeks ahead of schedule. However, just three days later, Newark was plunged into chaos once again.
Despite this, Secretary Duffy stated that flight operations would need to be reduced due to the technological issues experienced in recent weeks.
Since April 28, there have been three power outages at Newark, leaving ATC screens perilously blank as planes were taking off and landing.