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By Peter Aitken and Gabe Whisnant
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The Federal Aviation Association (FAA) on Friday morning announced that another telecommunications outage occurred at Newark Liberty International Airport.
Why It Matters
A collision between an American Airlines plane and a U.S. Army helicopter outside Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in January raised concerns about air traffic safety.
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The FAA has roughly 14,000 air traffic controllers, about 1,800 of whom were hired last year. The agency says it needs about 3,000 more amid concerns that recent staffing levels could affect passenger safety.
Understaffing at the FAA means controllers are often forced to work mandatory overtime, sometimes six days a week, prompting heightened concerns about worker fatigue.
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What To Know
The FAA said in a post on X, formerly Twitter: "There was a telecommunications outage that impacted communications and radar display at Philadelphia TRACON Area C, which guides aircraft in and out of Newark Liberty International Airport airspace. The outage occurred around 3:55 a.m. on Friday, May 9, and lasted approximately 90 seconds."
Other outlets, such as ABC News, described the outage as "radar screens went black" during that time.
Newark has experienced disruptions since April 28, when air traffic controllers at Philadelphia's TRACON reportedly lost contact and couldn't properly guide planes for upwards of 30 seconds, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
Since then, hundreds of delays and cancellations have occurred, which local and federal officials have attributed to technology, staffing issues and inclement weather. United Airlines, which calls Newark its East Coast hub, subsequently removed 35 daily roundtrip flights.
This followed Duffy and President Donald Trump on Thursday announcing plans to overhaul the FAA's air traffic control system, which includes adding fiber, wireless and satellite systems to more than 4,600 locations across the country by 2028. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee estimates it could cost $12.5 billion to complete.
"If there are foreseeable issues in the airspace you would expect someone to take actions to save lives," Duffy said during Thursday's briefing at the Department of Transportation. "This is bold. This is going to be challenging, but we absolutely can do it."
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump during Thursday's briefing: "The ancient infrastructure is buckling under the weight of more than a billion flying passengers a year, and Pete Buttigieg, who was the secretary of transportation, had no clue what the problem was."
Representative Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey, a Democrat, on X: "These radar blackouts at the Newark Airport are unacceptable and putting passengers at risk. The safety of passengers, pilots, and crews must be our number one priority. I am calling on the Trump administration to immediately send additional resources to the FAA to upgrade outdated infrastructure and technology."
What Happens Next
Duffy said it would take about four years to implement the transit overhaul plan, which hinges on congressional funding.
This article included reporting by the Associated Press.
Update 5/9/25, 12:42 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information, context and comment.
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