Chaos at Newark Airport: second failure of air traffic control!

Chaos at Newark Airport: second failure of air traffic control!

Newark Liberty International Airport, Newark, New Jersey, USA - On May 9, 2025, a second considerable failure of air traffic control at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey occurred. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that a facility in Philadelphia lost the telecommunications signal for about 90 seconds at 3:55 a.m. This incident led to significant disorders in air traffic and is already the second incident within a few weeks. The situation raises questions about current air traffic safety in the USA and increases the pressure on President Donald Trump's government to implement necessary improvements.

The failure impaired the monitoring of communication and radar signals, which endangered the safety of flight operations. A control reported a pilot: "Our screens have become black again." This caused numerous late and diverted flights, and on Friday morning Flighttare.com reported 74 canceled flights and 250 late flights to the Newark Airport, with an average delay of about four hours.

insight into the causes and consequences

The cause of the failure was attributed to the same telecommunications and software problems, which had already occurred in a similar incident on April 28. After this incident, several air traffic controllers had taken a vacation by claiming a federal law that allows them to take a break after traumatic incidents. Transport Minister Sean Duffy admitted that the failure did not result in a complete interruption of communication with the pilots and that both main and secondary information lines for Newark are back into operation after the incident.

The FAA and the Ministry of Transport have announced that they can fix the technical problems to prevent future failures. At the same time, new training courses for air traffic controllers were set up in the Philadelphia Tracon to reduce the pressure on the existing staff. Industry insiders emphasize that the training of pilots and air traffic controllers is decisive to minimize risks in such situations.

background and reactions from politics

The incident draws attention to the aviation management that has been criticized several times since President Trump took office. In early 2023, for example, there was a collision over the Potomac River, which cost all the inmates of both aircraft. As a result, the Trump administration was criticized for its cuts in FAA staff, which could lead to an increased probability of errors and breakdowns. The US Congressman Josh Gottheimer already called for an increase in FAA staff to improve aviation safety.

technological progress in the focus

In addition to the immediate problem of the radar failure, the FAA is working on the accelerated modernization of an important security system, known as a notam (Notice to Airmen). This system provides pilots about temporary changes in airspace, such as runway closures or airspace restricted. In 2025, a new notam service is to be provided, which enables almost real-time data exchange and improves horizontal cooperation between the participants.

These developments reflect the efforts of the FAA to ensure that the airspace remains safe, while at the same time it is planned to meet solutions in order to meet the increasing challenges of air traffic. However, the recent incidents in Newark illustrate how urgently a solution is required to ensure the safety of travelers.

For further information on the current developments at Newark Airport, see the reports from Al Jazera , CBS News and FAA Newsroom .