Newark Airport’s Staffing Woes Lead to Significant Flight Disruptions

Yellow departures sign in empty airport terminal

Newark Liberty International Airport’s extreme flight delays hit five hours as air traffic control staffing shortages and runway construction cripple one of America’s busiest travel hubs.

Quick Takes

Newark Airport experienced arriving flight delays averaging five hours with nearly 20% of flights canceled and over 40% delayed.
A combination of 3,500 air traffic controller shortages nationwide and a major runway closure until mid-June 2025 is causing the disruption.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the situation “cracks in the system” and promised solutions including controller bonuses and infrastructure upgrades.
Airlines are not providing hotel accommodations for stranded passengers, citing the issues as FAA problems.
Flight reductions at New York area airports have been extended through October 2025 due to the ongoing staffing crisis.

Perfect Storm of Infrastructure and Staffing Issues

Newark Liberty International Airport has become a nightmare for travelers, with arriving flights delayed by an average of nearly six and a half hours. The crisis stems from a combination of air traffic controller staffing shortages, equipment malfunctions, and ongoing runway construction that has reduced the airport to sometimes just one operational runway for both takeoffs and landings. The Federal Aviation Administration has been forced to implement ground stops and significantly slow arrivals, creating a cascading effect of cancellations and delays throughout the national air transportation system.

The $121 million runway rehabilitation project has closed one of Newark’s main runways completely until mid-June 2025, creating a long-term constraint on airport capacity. This construction, coupled with equipment problems at the FAA’s airspace operations center in Philadelphia, has led to massive travel disruptions. Newark Airport authorities warned passengers via social media, “You may experience delays and cancellations at @EWRairport due to a combination of @FAA staffing shortages, @FAA equipment issues, and wind conditions.”

A shortage of air traffic controllers is causing problems at Newark Airport near New York City, which could see more flight delays as the busy summer travel season approaches. @trevorlault reports. pic.twitter.com/lcou9HsAOa

— Good Morning America (@GMA) May 2, 2025

National Air Traffic Controller Crisis

The FAA is currently short approximately 3,500 air traffic controllers nationwide, creating systemic vulnerabilities across America’s airspace. This critical staffing shortage has forced the agency to relocate controllers from New York to Philadelphia and implement mandatory overtime and six-day work weeks for current staff. United Airlines, Newark’s dominant carrier, has been particularly hard-hit, with numerous flight diversions and disruptions due to FAA equipment malfunctions and the ongoing staffing limitations.

The FAA has extended minimum flight requirements at New York City-area airports through October 2025, acknowledging that the staffing crisis cannot be quickly resolved. Current projections suggest it will take three to four years to reach full staffing levels. In the meantime, travelers are bearing the brunt of the shortages, with many missing connecting flights and being told by airlines that hotel accommodations won’t be provided since the delays are considered an FAA problem rather than an airline issue.

Government Response and Long-Term Solutions

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has announced a multi-pronged approach to address the systemic problems. His plan includes offering retention bonuses to encourage controllers to delay retirement, relocating controllers to understaffed facilities, increasing pay for new controllers, and accelerating the hiring process. The Department of Transportation also intends to widen the training pipeline for new air traffic controllers to address the 3,500-person shortfall more quickly.

Duffy is expected to announce a comprehensive plan for revamping air traffic control infrastructure and equipment, acknowledging that the problems extend beyond staffing to include outdated systems and facilities. Meanwhile, Newark Airport officials continued to advise passengers, “We are working with our airline partners to minimize the impacts, but please check with your airline for updates as flight schedules may be affected.” With summer travel season approaching, these issues threaten to create even more widespread disruptions across the national aviation system.