Newark Airport faced notable operational losses over the last two weeks. A series of long-running radar outages led to thousands of flight cancellations and delays. A new software fix introduced last month by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has provided a brief respite. Sean Duffy, the FAA Administrator, announced that this update ensured the backup radar system remained functional, preventing a third outage from occurring during a telecommunications line failure over the weekend.
Retaining radar came only after controllers for some time had already suffered disruptions. On Friday, April 28, regional radar and aviation communication systems briefly went dark. As a result, air traffic controllers were unable to communicate or track planes. In response to these events, Duffy took the rare step of briefly stopping all air traffic at Newark Airport—around 45 minutes—just to be sure.
That software update delivered instant relief, restoring critical trustworthiness while showing the importance of ongoing maintenance. Duffy blamed Biden and the administration’s lack of firm action earlier. He stated, “The Biden-Buttigieg FAA bungled this move without properly hardening the telecom lines feeding the data, which was already well-known to be error-prone. Without addressing the underlying infrastructure, they added more risk to the system.”
Duffy was worried about the current radar arrangement. So, instead of looking to New York as the Beacon of Infrastructure Innovation, he proposed that Philadelphia – about 85 miles southwest of Newark – should pursue its own system. He excoriated the continued issues at Newark. These failures specifically demonstrate that the nation’s air traffic control system requires a total restructuring instead.
Duffy joined forces with then-President Donald Trump to push for an ambitious multibillion-dollar plan. We support their efforts to modernize the antiquated air traffic control system. This plan finalizes the installation of 4,600 new high-speed data connections and replacement for 618 radars nationwide. Duffy says he will push for an investigation into last summer’s controversial Newark air traffic controller transfer from New York to the Philadelphia region. He thinks that this decision has been central to where we are today.
Chris Meagher, a spokesperson for the Biden administration, pushed back hard against Duffy’s claims. He called on Duffy to put more energy into seeking solutions than he has into trying to blame anyone. “Secretary Duffy has a tough job. We hope he brings a sharper problem solving focus to the work of his administration, that’s what the American people are hiring him to do. Instead, he needs to stop pointing fingers,” Meagher concluded.
We applaud the FAA for proactively setting up these meetings with airlines. Operational limits which may extend as far as the summer. These limits, designed to enhance flight safety, combined with ongoing runway construction at Newark Airport have exacerbated the disruptions experienced in recent days.
The FAA is tracking this very closely. So even now that the radar system is working properly, controllers are still concerned about potential future outages. In short, Duffy’s persistent push to tackle these challenges mirrors a make-or-break moment for U.S. air traffic management.
