Newark Airport Grounded: Staffing Shortage Causes Chaos

Newark Airport Flight Delays Expose Staffing Crisis Newark Liberty International Airport experienced widespread flight delays on Monday, May 12, 2025, due to a critical shortage of air traffic controllers. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that only three controllers were on duty during the evening shift, significantly below the required 14. This resulted in average delays of 1 hour and 40 minutes, with some passengers reporting waits of up to seven hours. The situation was exacerbated by a brief radar outage at the Philadelphia-based air traffic control facility just three days prior. "This incident is the latest in a series of recent operational setbacks at Newark," said an FAA spokesperson. The FAA's statement also noted that 21 additional controllers and supervisors are in training, with 10 already certified for at least one role. The agency hopes that relocating air traffic control operations to Philadelphia, where the cost of living is lower, will help attract and retain more staff. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby commented on the situation, pointing out that the FAA's requirement for airlines to reduce the number of operating aircraft further compounds delays. While the FAA aims to ensure safety, the consequences of understaffing have caused significant disruption and frustration for travelers. The long-term solution, as highlighted by U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, involves the lengthy process of recruiting and training new, fully certified controllers, which typically takes two and a half years for complex airspace like Newark's.