By: Richard L. Smith
Travelers faced widespread disruptions at Newark Liberty International Airport on Monday following an equipment malfunction that crippled flight operations, according to a statement released by Port Authority officials.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that it slowed both incoming and outgoing flights after telecommunications and equipment problems arose at Philadelphia TRACON, the regional center responsible for managing Newark’s air traffic.
United Airlines reported that the FAA's equipment failure brought all Newark flight operations to a temporary standstill.
Although the technical outage has since been resolved, authorities say a critical shortage of available air traffic controllers remains, severely limiting the capacity to manage flights in and out of the airport.
As a result, United Airlines said it had to divert over 35 flights to alternate airports and delay numerous others at their points of origin, leading to significant travel backups.
The airline also warned passengers to expect cancellations and continued delays throughout the remainder of the day, citing ongoing FAA staffing challenges.
To assist affected travelers, United issued a travel waiver, allowing customers more flexibility in adjusting their itineraries.
Officials have not yet provided details on the underlying reasons behind the controller shortage.