Why U.S. air traffic control is under strain

Air traffic controllers have been under pressure for years, but 90-second equipment failure has been exposed on a month how decades of staff shortages, sub-investment and patchwork solutions for those who guide aircraft through the world’s most sprayed mirror take air space.

The malfunction also led to hundreds of flight delays, which disturbed traveling for thousands of people for days – again. Less than two weeks later, on Friday, there was still a similar malfunction in the same facility, although it was at night when there are much fewer planes in the air.

Dressed by expensive Bests, managers of airlines have been clamping for years for upgrades to repair the aging air traffic infrastructure and final staff shortages.

With the CEOs of the largest US airlines present, transport secretary Sean Duffy revealed a plan on Thursday to replace dated radar and communication systems in US Airspace, a revision that airlines estimate that the congress approves more than $ 30 billion in financing.

Duffy has not given a price tag, but has said that the track costs billions of dollars and added on Thursday that the ‘in advance’ requires funds of the congress.

“The system we have here, it’s not worth storing,” said Duffy during the event. “It’s too old.”

Airlines, Airbus, Ge aerospaceWorking unions and members of the OHER industry welcomed $ 12.5 billion house spending proposal on Thursday, assisted to improve air traffic control and said that another $ 18.5 billion in emergency financing is needed for upgrades and improved staff in the next three years.

Sub -Democrats said they were found by the new proposition of Duffy, but earlier this year, the dismissals of the Trump government criticized tens of federal employees of the federal aviation administration, including no air traffic controllers.

“If America wants to remain the gold standard in aviation safety, we need smart investments – notes canceled investments and cuts on financing,” said Senator Tammy Duckworth, D -Bill., In a statement on Thursday.

In the afternoon of 28 April, air traffic controllers in a facility in Philadelphia who are responsible for guiding plans to and from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, opposite dark Radar Radar screens and they could not talk to plans for more than a minute.

The malfunction took approximately 30 seconds. According to the FAA, it took another 30 to 60 seconds before aircraft appeared on Radarscopes again.

Pilots for large American airlines say they are specially trained to cope with such malfunctions.

But a ketage of even a few seconds “is an eternity for air traffic controllers,” says Jeff Guzzetti, a retired air safety researcher for the US National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA.

The incident, which was not the first time that equipment disturbances hit the facility, was so shocking subse “Take the free time to recover from the stress of several recent malfunctions,” said the FAA.

According to flightware, more than 1500 Newark flights were delayed in the week after the malfunction. United AirlinesWho a hub from Newark, said it cut 35 flights a day out of its schedule to relieve the pressure on its operation and customers.

A Newark start track is also closed for construction, which contributes to disturbances.

A similar radar and communication failure took place before dawn on Friday in the same facility that supervises arriving and the Ministry of Newark Airport plans.

On Wednesday, the FAA said that staff would strengthen in the Philadelphia facility and work to resolve communication lines that give data to controllers there for Newark flights. It said that it is planning to install a temporary back -up system there to “offer redundancy during the switch to a more reliable fiberptic network.”

New upgrades can come fast enough.

“We have computers, and I don’t joke, today in 2025, which are based on Windows 95 and Floppy Schijven,” said Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, in an interview in March.

The FAA said last year that the average age of his towers is 40 and that most radar systems are 40 years old. “Onderneming facilities add risks to the system, including the risk of disturbances of the services,” it said.

The Duffy unveiled crashed on Thursday for replacement of 618 radars and the construction of six new air traffic control centers, as well as the installation of new fiber optic, wireless and satellite systems to replace old communication systems.

The incident of April 28 and earlier disruptions did not cause any actions, but the failures brought more concerned about an outdated system and chronic shortages of air traffic controllers, especially in the busy airspace in New York City.

According to the FAA, US Air Traffic Controllers give around 45,000 flights everywhere in general.

The urgency to solve persistent problems to new level after Black Hawk Army -Helicopter clashed with a American Airlines Regional Jet on January 29, killing all 67 people on board the plane. It was the deadliest air accident in the United States since 2001.

“It should not go through a tragedy to solve this problem,” Jetblue Airways CEO Joanna Geraghty said during Thursday’s transport event in Washington, DC “as the only airline that is head office and based in New York City, we know the control of air traffic control and challenges much, far too good.

“Let’s get this done,” she said.

Newark already has to deal with space restrictions in the beginning.

Last year it dealt with around 414,000 flights, 11% less than John F. Kennedy International Airport, in Queens, New York, according to data from their operator, the port authority of New York and New Jersey. But Newark is about half of JFK’s size.

Technology flashes and staff shortages have been especially difficult for Newark in recent days. Last year, the FAA controllers will handle newark from a facility on Long Island, New York – where plans are also being seized to and from Laguardia Airport and JFK in Queens – to Remote Station in Philadelphia. The move was intended to relieve congestion and tension on the Long Island facility, but there are still problems.

Air traffic staff shortages have annoyed airlines that would like to capitalize on a strong demand but are limited and high costs are confronted due to lack of controllers.

“Keep in mind that this air traffic control facility has been chronically understoppers for years and without these controllers it is now clear – and the FAA tells us – that Newark Airport cannot be the number of plans for the premium,” the United CEO Scott Kirby told customers on 2 May, with scheme.

Before April 26, four flights were canceled a day in Newark in April, on Avenge, but that rose to 39 to day to Monday, according to Aviation Analytics Firm Cirium. About 80% of the flights were on schedule in Apil before that date, but fell to 63%, “far below industry,” said Cirium.

Duffy has said that air travel is safe. After a visit to the Philadelphia facity after the dropout of April 28, he said that the FAA will slow down, if not stop, it will be completely arranged whether there is a shortage of air traffic controllers.

The CEO of United, Kirby, told employees in a memo on Wednesday that flying to and from Newark is safe. He said that the courier pilots have thousands of hours of experience and training about procedures to “follow” to reinforce communication if controllers lose the radio contact to safely navigate the aircraft to his destination. “

Airlines have sought capacity limits to help congestion, and the last disruption was no exception.

“United has been doing * for years * to the US government * to use its authority to effectively limit the number of flights to what the airport can realistically handle,” Kirby told employees in a note. “Not the past to make those changes, had led to the circumstances with which united and, the most important, our customs is now confronted.”

In 2016, the FAA facilitated the flight restrictions at the airport and Kirby said that the FAA should return to earlier rules.

“It is long to treat EWR like the crown jewel it is,” he told employees in the Wednesday note, using the airport code. “We continue to work closely with the FAA and [Transportation Department] To have EWR repaired once and for all and to deliver the country the first -class air traffic system that the DES thinks. “

The US has around 10,800 air traffic controllers, far below its full personnel goal with 3,000, according to the controllers’ Union, the NATCA.

“We have had 146,000 candidates in the last eight years and we have hired 7,905,” said Chris Wilbanks, vice -president of mission aid at the FAA responsible for hiring and training the controller, in interview in March. “Less than 10% of people who sign up for the job [Oklahoma training] Academy and the graduate to enter the field. “

In the earlier tax year, the goal of the FAA was to hire 1,800 controllers.

“We lose 35% of the host at the academy. We lose another 20% eleven they get in the field during job training. So we don’t have 1,800 controllers,” Wilbanks said.

The Gueling-Taak Requirements Air Traffic Controllers to withdraw age 56 years, and applicants from the Academy cannot be older than 30. Many are forced to work for six days of working because of the shortages.

Duffy has recently moved to increase financial incentives, such as higher wages for air traffic controllers. Initiation is around $ 45,000, Daniels of the Union said, although the median payment for a US Air Traffic Controller is $ 144,580 a year, according to the American labor department.