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
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.
“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
