May 7, 2025
For roughly 90 seconds, air traffic controllers could not see or communicate with United Airlines Flight 1951 from New Orleans to Newark. The lapse contributed to more than a week of widespread delays, staffing shortages, and a reduced flight schedule.
Air traffic controllers in Newark are currently on trauma leave after a 90-second system outage created chaos at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.
For roughly 90 seconds, air traffic controllers could not see or communicate with United Airlines Flight 1951 from New Orleans to Newark. According to Bloomberg, the lapse contributed to more than a week of widespread delays, staffing shortages, and a reduced flight schedule.
CNN reported that at least five air traffic controllers have been placed on trauma leave following the system failure, further exasperating airport delays.
A total of 1,000 flights have been delayed or canceled since April 28. In some instances, passengers witnessed more than three hours of delay on their flights, and ground stops have been reported, according to CBS News.
Updates Coming To System Amid Air Traffic Trauma Leave
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is expected to announce plans to overhaul the nation’s aging system, on Thursday.
“We are going to radically transform the way air traffic control looks. We’re going to build a brand new air traffic control system — from new telecoms to new radars to new infrastructure. We’re bringing on new air traffic controllers,” Duffy said during an interview with Fox News Monday night. “This has been a problem in the decades coming, and we’re going to fix it.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also issued a statement stating that the antiquated system is affecting the workforce. The FAA supported Duffy’s announcement to update the system.
“Frequent equipment and telecommunications outages can be stressful for controllers. Some controllers at the Philadelphia TRACON who work Newark arrivals and departures have taken time off to recover from the stress of multiple recent outages,” the FAA said in a statement. “While we cannot quickly replace them due to this highly specialized profession, we continue to train controllers who will eventually be assigned to this busy airspace.”
The staffing issues are expected to last through the rest of the week. Newark’s airspace requires special certification, making reassigning controllers from other airports challenging.
