A software update prevented another radar failure at Newark Airport, but FAA staffing shortages and infrastructure concerns continue to disrupt operations.
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| A critical software fix helped keep Newark’s radar system online, but persistent air traffic staffing issues and telecom concerns may impact summer flights. Image: CH |
Newark, USA — May 13, 2025:
A newly implemented software update helped Newark Liberty International Airport avoid a third radar outage in just two weeks, following another telecommunications failure over the weekend, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed Monday.
While the radar system stayed functional this time, concerns about underlying infrastructure and staffing continue to hamper operations. At a news conference, Duffy sharply criticized the Biden administration for neglecting known issues with the air traffic control (ATC) center in Philadelphia, which has managed Newark traffic since a controversial move from New York. He pointed to hardware issues in October and November as missed warning signs.
Monday evening brought more travel headaches for passengers, with delays averaging over 90 minutes. This time, a shortage of air traffic controllers was the cause. Several staff members are reportedly on 45-day trauma leave following the earlier radar outages, said Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokesperson Kristen Alsop. In response, the FAA has limited flight traffic into Newark — a restriction compounded by ongoing runway construction. These limits could be extended into the summer, with talks scheduled between the FAA and airline representatives later this week.
The FAA's Friday night update proved effective Sunday, activating a backup system when the primary telecommunications line again failed. During previous incidents on April 28 and May 10, radar and communications went dark temporarily. Although the system stayed online Sunday, controllers temporarily halted all incoming flights for about 45 minutes out of caution.
Duffy announced plans to request a formal investigation into the 2023 relocation of Newark's ATC operations to Philadelphia — located roughly 85 miles away — and called the transition poorly executed. He accused the FAA, under Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, of failing to reinforce critical telecom lines already known to be vulnerable.
“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,” Duffy said. “Without addressing the underlying infrastructure, they added more risk to the system.”
Duffy also argued that Newark should have received its own dedicated radar system rather than relying on a signal piped from New York, and cited the disruption as justification for the Trump administration’s newly proposed multibillion-dollar overhaul of the national air traffic system. That plan, announced last week, includes installing 4,600 high-speed data lines and replacing over 600 outdated radar units.
In defense, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s adviser Chris Meagher countered that the Biden administration has made strides in hiring new air traffic controllers and tackling infrastructure issues. “Secretary Duffy has a tough job,” Meagher said. “But he needs to spend more time doing what the American people are paying him to do — fix problems — and less time blaming others.”
Since the initial outage, the FAA has begun replacing old copper telecommunications lines at Newark, JFK, and LaGuardia airports with fiber optics. The new lines are undergoing two weeks of testing before being fully activated — a move officials hope will bring more stability ahead of the busy summer travel season.