Travelers in and out of the New York City area this week have been experiencing delays at area airports, which are being attributed to equipment problems and staffing issues.
Of all the area airports, Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) has been affected the worst, with 617 delays in and out of the facility yesterday.
Star Alliance carrier United Airlines was hit the hardest, with almost one in six flights facing delays.
Republic Airways, which operates regional flights on behalf of airlines including United, Delta Air Lines, and American Airlines, came in next with just over 100 delays.
Today was significantly better at Newark regarding delays, with around 300. United, the airport's busiest carrier, again faced the most delays. As of early afternoon, around 130 flights had been canceled, representing a quarter of its Newark operation.
Republic was next again, followed by Go Jet, which operates under the United Express brand on behalf of United Airlines. In fourth place was Spirit Airlines, with around 20 flights not arriving or departing on time.
Other airports in the area have seen less severe delays. Yesterday, the airport saw only 102 delays, with just one cancellation, a flight to London Heathrow. JetBlue saw 40 flights delayed, representing 12% of its flights from the Airport.
Today, it has seen over 70, with JetBlue leading, followed by Delta and American Airlines.
LaGuardia Airport (LGA) has around 60 delays, with the most being attributed to Southwest Airlines, which has seen one in five flights affected.
The delays have been attributed to equipment and staffing problems affecting air traffic controllers. The national aviation agency confirmed that the traffic delays were due to staffing issues in the area. When reached for this story by my, an FAA spokesperson confirmed the slowing of incoming traffic was intentional:
“The FAA is slowing traffic into Newark Liberty International Airport due to staffing issues impacting Philadelphia TRACON (PHL). Safety plans, like slowing flights or issuing ground stops, are taken when a staffing or equipment issue occurs."
There has been increased pressure on the agency’s aging equipment. This summer, 26 organizations, including Airlines for America, AOPA, and the International Air Transport Association, cosigned a letter to several congressional transport committees urging upgrades.
According to the letter, more than a quarter of all FAA facilities are at least 50 years old, with many in need of replacement.
Staffing is another area that the agency has been addressing this year. In September, the agency announced it had surpassed its hiring goal of 1,800 traffic controllers in 2024, up from 1,500 in 2021.
Earlier this summer, the airspace around Newark switched from the New York Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) to the Philadelphia Air Traffic Control Tower.
This resulted in 24 air traffic controllers being moved from Long Island to Philadelphia.
