In the weeks since the start of the summer travel season, cascade delays and cancellations at one of Newark Liberty International (EWR) in New Jersey, near New York City, are not only rippling across the US, but also rekindled debate about the country’s aging aviation infrastructure and how to fix the chronic air traffic abbreviation abbreviation.
The solution, an overhaul of the country’s air traffic control system, outlined this week by U.S. Transport Secretary Sean Duffy, will cost billions of dollars and will not yield positive results over the years. The government then said it must rely on all the most basic modifications. It said it would be to slow arrival rates to ensure safety.
What happened at Newark Airport?
What began in late April with Flight Snaphus in New York’s notoriously crowded airspace, Flight Snaphus, turned into something much worse on April 28th, when the controller lost all contact with the Newarkbound flight for about 90 seconds.
“If you put that in perspective, it’s forever if you’re talking about airplanes traveling hundreds of miles per hour,” said William McGee, a senior aviation fellow, who is a traveller for the American Economic Freedom Project and a former flight dispatcher. It’s scary, so sources from the airlines and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have pointed out that planes can communicate with ground dispatchers, and there is a collision avoidance system that causes alarms if planes in the air get too close to each other.
Luckily, the system returned and the flight continued safely to its destination. According to the National Air Traffic Control Association, it is still unclear what exactly caused the obstacles, including the FAA “Approach Center” in Philadelphia (covers traffic within 50 miles of the airport) operated by the Newark Flight (covers traffic within 50 miles of the airport) at the FAA “Approach Center” in Philadelphia (covers traffic within 50 miles of the airport). It exacerbated the lack of existing controllers in New York area.
Of course, this issue goes far beyond one airport.
“Old-fashioned air traffic control systems are affecting our workforce,” a FAA spokesperson said in a statement provided far away, “Some controllers are taking the time to recover from the stress of multiple recent outages.”
However, this week, the FAA moved to strengthen staffing at the Philadelphia Center by asking air traffic control supervisors from across the country to pitch temporarily.
United will return to Newark flights to scale
With Newark’s fiasco unending, United Airlines, the airport’s largest airline tenant, which canceled or delayed more than 1,000 flights last week, has announced it will be cutting operations in one of its most important hubs. United have cut 35 daily departures from their domestic schedule in Newark, with capacity down 10% at the hub, which, in addition to previous cuts made on the schedule there, the airline said.
While acknowledging its decision to reduce services, “unfortunate” was “unfortunate,” United CEO Scott Kirby said, “It’s clear that Newark Airport cannot handle the number of planes scheduled to operate there in a few weeks or months.”
He said, “I feel that there is no other option to protect our customers as there is no way to solve the short-term structural FAA staff problem.”
What am I suggested?
Longtime observers should note that this is almost a new issue. Air traffic control has been suffering from aging equipment and staffing shortages for many years.
The downturn in the system and workplace burnout, exacerbated by the lack of staffing exacerbated by the pandemic, is contributing to the current crisis. How did you get to this point? McGee said there is “a lot of responsibility,” but many of them are in Congress. This failed to properly fund the training, staffing, and equipment needed to use technology controllers in the 21st century.
With concerns about Air Force safety already rising after the fatal crash in Washington, DC in January, in a series of close ranges at the airport, this month’s Department of Transport (DOT) announced plans to promote controller employment with incentives, rapid employment and training programs, and bonuses for retired but qualified controllers. Currently, according to the FAA, there are around 14,000 air traffic controllers following the push to increase numbers last year, but there are still many unfilled positions, especially in stressful areas such as New York.
Is it safe to fly from Newark in the meantime?
Airlines are working to subdue flight horrors, especially in Newark. “All flights inside and outside of EWR are absolutely safe,” United’s Kirby said in a statement. “If there are FAA issues, such as technology outages, shortages of staff, etc., the FAA requires all airlines to slow down the aircraft, or delay or cancel flights to maintain maximum levels of safety.”
He said, “If the controller loses radio contact and safely navigates the plane to its destination, there are also steps that the pilot follows to reestablish communication.”
Meanwhile, this week, Secretary Duffy kicked off what he claims will become a “brand new, cutting-edge” aviation infrastructure system. “We’re trying to fundamentally change the way air traffic control looks,” he said.
The modifications include replacing aged copper wiring with fiber optics and moving from traditional radar to satellite-based tracking systems. So far, the $12.5 billion already allocated by Congress for improved air traffic control will be applied as a “down payment” for ambitious projects this week. However, he acknowledged that this effort could take at least three to four years to complete. It will get the necessary funds, which will be billions more.
What tourists can do to protect their trip
Starting in June, Newark may have some relief as the runway (contributes to delays) that is currently closed for construction will be reopened. However, anecdotal reports on travel forums show that many travelers are not waiting for results and are booking flights such as other New York-area airfields. However, switching airports does not guarantee a glitch-free flight experience. Generally, delays in one region tend to echo throughout the domestic flight system. Below are some tips on what all travelers can do to make their flight journey smoother.
- Sign up for alerts with the airline and/or the flight monitoring app. Make sure it is updated frequently per text, not just for flights, but also for incoming aircraft operating the flight. Services like FlightAware and Flightradar24 can provide flight history that will help you find and avoid the most punctual flights.
- I’ll leave a day or two earlier. If something is scheduled to a destination that you can’t miss, build up some buffer time just in case your flight is cancelled or delayed.
- Consider extra travel insurance. Consider getting travel insurance that covers a wide range of events. If in doubt, add “Cancel for any reason” to the additional fee that covers most of the travel disruption.
- If possible, only carry-on vehicles should be packaged. You will arrive at your destination on time, but detouring your luggage is not the best way to start your trip. Consider bringing all your belongings into carry-on baggage.
- When things go crazy, learn what you owes. Both the US and the European Union are struggling with consumer protection regulations. DOT’s online airline customer service “dashboard” is useful and shows exactly what the airline is committed to in terms of flight delays and cancellation compensation.
