The crisis at New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport has not only been in the making for years, but it’s just “one of many volcanoes waiting to erupt,” according to American Airlines Capt. Dennis Tajer.
Tajer, a pilot for over 30 years, is one of many aviation experts who told FOX Business that the air traffic control system has been under immense pressure for years given the persisting staffing shortages, outdated technology and underinvestment in critical infrastructure.
“We’ve seen an uptick in serious runway incursions that could have been prevented with modern technology and proper staffing,” Tajer said.
Newark “is getting the attention in part due to the volume of traffic in a tight airspace, but these issues are the undertow across the system,” he added.
These shortfalls came into focus last week when air traffic controllers at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) facility in Philadelphia lost radar and radio communications while directing planes to Newark, the second-busiest airport in the New York airport system, for nearly 90 seconds.
It led to significant delays and flight cancellations.
Air traffic controllers at the Philadelphia TRACON facility work on Newark arrivals and departures.
Aside from the longstanding issues with the air traffic control system, Newark’s challenges have been further strained by ongoing construction at the airport, which leaves it temporarily operating with only one of two parallel runways.
Regardless, Tajer said there is no question that operations are still safe, saying that pilots “will never allow the safety margin to be narrowed no matter the cause.”
Stephen Abraham, a former air traffic controller at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, agreed, telling FOX Business that despite the system being “stretched,” he would never call it unsafe.
“Unsafe means controllers are making mistakes. And I think if you look nationwide, the system is incredibly safe,” Abraham said.
According to Abraham and Tajer, controllers will always limit the volume of traffic to ensure safety.
The FAA also confirmed to FOX Business that when staffing or equipment issues occur, like at Newark, the agency will ensure safety by slowing the rate of arrivals into the airport.
“Pilots and air traffic controllers do not operate in unsafe conditions. It’s our moral and professional committee to our passengers and country,” Tajer said. “We certainly understand that person’s alarm and agree that the safety margin is under pressure, but easing that pressure is what the system and airlines are wired to do, and that keeps us safe.”
Still, Tajer said that infrastructure failures – stemming from the lack of modern technology and inadequate planning for staffing needs – are “a betrayal of the stakeholder safety culture.”
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates Newark airport, deferred comment to the FAA.
The FAA told FOX Business in a statement that the “antiquated air traffic control system is affecting our workforce.” The agency reiterated Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s message that the U.S. “must get the best safety technology in the hands of controllers as soon as possible.”
Duffy announced a new set of initiatives last week aimed at boosting the hiring and retention of air traffic controllers, including a limited-time incentive package to keep experienced controllers from retiring.
The FAA said it is also working to ensure the current telecommunications equipment in the New York area is more reliable by developing a more resilient and redundant system with the local phone companies in the event something fails.
The agency said it is also updating its automation system to improve resiliency.
The FAA said some controllers who work Newark arrivals and departures have taken time off to recover “from the stress of multiple recent outages.”
While the agency said it can’t replace them quickly because it is a “highly specialized profession,” it can keep training controllers who will eventually be assigned to the busy airspace.
