United Airlines Cuts Newark Flights Amid Continued Delays
United Airlines is set to eliminate 35 roundtrip flights daily from its itinerary at Newark Liberty International Airport. This decision follows considerable delays affecting thousands of passengers recently. United’s CEO, Scott Kirby, attributed these disruptions to a staffing shortage among air traffic controllers and ongoing technological issues at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The cancellation of these flights represents around 10% of United’s daily schedule out of Newark, which is one of the busiest airports in the U.S. On Friday alone, FlightAware reported that over 300 flights faced delays at Newark, contributing to an alarming total of more than 1,400 delays and cancellations earlier in the week.
Kirby expressed disappointment in further scaling back an already diminished flight schedule. He noted, "Given the current staffing challenges with the FAA, we find ourselves in a tough position where we must prioritize customer experience," in a communication directed at passengers. The reduced schedule is set to begin this weekend.
Recent days have seen a significant reduction in air traffic control staffing at Newark, with estimates suggesting that about 20% of controllers have left their positions due to technical failures. Kirby highlighted that the air traffic control facility has been under-resourced for years, complicating the airport’s ability to manage the expected number of flights in the near future.
The FAA confirmed that staffing limits were impacting Newark’s operations. In light of this situation, United Airlines is urging the FAA to impose stricter flight capacity controls at Newark, similar to measures already in effect at other congested airports such as LaGuardia and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Requests for comment from the FAA and the Transportation Department went unanswered, while representatives of the air traffic controllers’ union chose not to comment on the issue.
In recent developments, the FAA had previously relocated controllers responsible for managing Newark airspace to Philadelphia from a New York facility in an attempt to alleviate congestion issues.
Kirby communicated with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Friday, commending the administration’s commitment to modernizing and investing in the air traffic control infrastructure within the country.
Moreover, United Airlines reported that the combination of technological outages at the FAA, ongoing runway construction, and adverse weather conditions contributed to the recent flight delays, necessitating at least 21 diversions.
Newark’s status as one of the nation’s most congested airports has long been a point of contention for United, which has previously made similar schedule adjustments due to persistent delays. The Transportation Department on Thursday unveiled a new series of incentives aimed at addressing staffing shortages among air traffic controllers, a long-standing issue exacerbated by pandemic-related training disruptions.
In response to patrons affected by Newark’s ongoing challenges, United Airlines announced that it would waive change fees and fare differences for affected customers, prioritizing customer service during this trying period.
As United Airlines navigates these operational challenges, the airline emphasizes its commitment to ensuring that customer needs are met while striving to restore operational stability.
