Newark Airport Chaos: Ground Stop Exposes Air Traffic Control Crisis

Newark Airport Ground Stop Highlights Growing Air Travel Crisis Newark Liberty International Airport experienced a significant disruption on Sunday morning, May 11, 2025, when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered a 45-minute ground stop due to a telecommunications failure at the Philadelphia TRACON Area C facility. This incident is the latest in a series of problems plaguing the airport. "This comes amid the growing travel nightmare at that vital airport following three radar outages over the last two weeks," reported an ABC News correspondent. The ground stop caused significant delays and cancellations, impacting hundreds of travelers. According to FlightAware.com, 300 flights were canceled and 654 were delayed since Friday morning alone. The FAA stated that operations returned to normal by 11 a.m. ET. However, the incident underscores deeper issues within the air traffic control system. The repeated radar failures have led to several controllers taking medical leave, citing the stressful conditions as traumatic. These staffing shortages further exacerbate the existing challenges faced by the airport. The situation at Newark highlights the urgent need for improved infrastructure and resources to ensure smoother operations and the well-being of air traffic controllers.