Air traffic controllers handling flights for Newark Liberty International Airport experienced another troubling communications outage on Monday. It is the region's fourth reported air traffic control outage in the last few weeks, raising serious safety concerns and contributing to a nightmare of flight delays and cancellations for travelers flying in and out of Newark.
On multiple occasions since April 28, air traffic controllers have temporarily lost radar or communications with planes around Newark Airport—once for up to 90 seconds—spurring Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigations, making national news, and prompting a recent Saturday Night Live sketch that illustrated how mainstream concerns about air traffic control safety have suddenly become.
Three problems are occurring simultaneously here, each making the other problems worse. First, one of the airport's three runways is out of service for refurbishment until later this summer. Being down a runway reduces the number of flights that can depart and arrive, and by itself would lead to fewer than normal choices for passengers.
