Newark airport ground stop: Air traffic control radar screens go black again, flights impacted

The Newark Liberty International Airport experienced another massive outage on Friday

Updated on: May 9, 2025, 21:25:36 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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The Newark Liberty International Airport experienced another massive outage on Friday after radar screens went black, a spokesperson for the FAA confirmed to PIX11 News. The outage took place around 3:55 AM local time and lasted about 90 seconds. A ground stop was issued, impacting hundreds of flights.

Passengers arrive to Terminal B at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, (AFP)

“There was a telecommunications outage that impacted communications and radar display at Philadelphia TRACON Area C, which guides aircraft in and out of Newark Liberty International Airport airspace,” the spokesperson said.

This comes after a similar outage on April 28. That first radar outage led to hundreds of flights being cancelled or delayed at the Newark airport in the past two weeks after the FAA slowed down traffic at the airport to ensure safety.

The FAA said earlier this week that it is installing new fiber optic data lines to carry the radar signal between its facilities in Philadelphia and New York.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer called the latest reported outage "big news."

"My understanding is there was yet another outage in the last hours, another 90 second outage of radar and radio in the region. That's the second time in a matter of days," he told reporters on Friday.

“Travelers have had it with the delays. I've heard from a lot of them. They're calling me, they're talking to me. You see them posting about the delays, about the cancellations.This airport is a key hub for our economy in the region. Twenty percent of America's GDP runs through this region.”

Over 78 flights were delayed and 10 were canceled, according to Newark Airport’s flight tracker.

Delayed Flights

Mountain Air Cargo 8310, Boston, MA, Delayed, 9:18 AM

United Airlines 4493, Richmond, VA, Delayed, 9:57 AM to 2:02 PM, Term. C - C101

Air Canada 3272, Tampa, FL, Delayed (Recovery), 9:58 AM to 1:54 PM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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