Air traffic controllers at Newark Liberty International Airport lost radar and communication capabilities for a critical period on April 28, triggering cascading delays and prompting multiple federal employees to take trauma-related leave, according to statements from the FAA and union officials.
The Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON), which handles airspace around Newark, experienced a full failure of radar and radio systems during a key operational window, temporarily leaving controllers unable to see or speak to pilots. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association confirmed the outage and said it led to a wave of stress-related absences.
"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. At least five employees have taken up to 45 days of trauma leave under the Federal Employees Compensation Act, sources told CNN.
The loss of contact with aircraft lasted approximately 30 seconds, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. "The primary communication line went down, the backup line didn't fire, and so for 30 seconds we lost contact with air traffic," Duffy said Monday on Fox News. "It's a sign that we have a frail system in place, and it has to be fixed."
Live recordings from LiveATC.net captured tense moments as pilots tried to reach unresponsive controllers. "Approach, are you there?" one pilot asked repeatedly. A United flight from New Orleans made five calls before receiving a reply. Another United flight was told, "We lost our radar, so just stay on the arrival and maintain 6000 feet."
By Monday, more than 150 flights were canceled and over 350 delayed at Newark, according to FlightAware. United Airlines, Newark's largest operator, said it would cancel 35 additional flights daily - roughly 10% of its hub activity - in response to reduced traffic capacity.
United CEO Scott Kirby criticized the FAA on Friday, stating that 20% of controllers had "walked off the job." The union rebutted the claim, saying employees were entitled to leave after suffering a traumatic event. "The controllers didn't just walk off the job - they were traumatized," a source familiar with the situation said. "Their equipment failed."
FAA staffing has been an ongoing issue. The Philadelphia TRACON, which handles Newark's airspace, has been "chronically understaffed for years," Kirby added. The FAA acknowledged it cannot quickly replace the controllers due to the technical nature of the profession.
Secretary Duffy said he will present a plan on Thursday to seek tens of billions of dollars from Congress to overhaul the air traffic control system, replacing outdated radar and telecom infrastructure. He estimated a timeline of three to four years for implementation.
"The chaos at Newark could very well be a harbinger if issues like these aren't fixed," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday, adding that he had directed the Department of Transportation's inspector general to open an investigation. "We're here because the FAA is really a mess," he said.
