It’s chaos in the skies—and a nightmare on the ground. Newark Liberty International Airport turned into a full-blown travel disaster zone this week as a crippling FAA staffing shortage caused massive flight delays, cancellations, and fury among stranded passengers.
People were crying. Children were sleeping on terminal floors. Travelers missed weddings, graduations, and business deals.
All because there aren’t enough air traffic controllers to keep planes moving.
According to reports, flights were delayed by up to 13 hours, with an average delay of 90 minutes. United Airlines—the biggest operator at Newark—was hit the hardest, canceling over 35 flights a day. And the worst part? The FAA says they can’t fix it anytime soon.
“This is outrageous,” one passenger told reporters after being stuck in Terminal C for nearly 10 hours. “I’ve traveled all over the world and never seen anything like this. Newark is a war zone.”
Why is this happening? Let’s break it down.
There’s a nationwide shortage of over 3,000 air traffic controllers, and Newark’s team has been hit especially hard. Some even walked off the job, citing impossible workloads and outdated tech. On top of that, runway construction and a messy airspace handoff to Philadelphia’s control tower have only made things worse.
The FAA says they’re trying to hire more people and upgrade equipment—but that’s not helping travelers stuck on tarmacs with no air conditioning or access to food.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby even threw in the towel, slashing flights to try and reduce the damage, saying there’s no other way around the FAA mess.
Even with summer travel ramping up, no one seems to have a fix. If you’ve got a trip coming up through Newark, buckle up—and maybe pack a pillow and snacks.
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