Widespread delays at US airport caused by air traffic controllers taking leave for trauma

HOUSTON, United States

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Monday that delays at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in the state of New Jersey were caused by air traffic controllers taking leave for trauma after losing communication with aircraft the week before.

FAA officials said that some air traffic controllers are now on a 45-day trauma leave "to recover from the stress of multiple recent outages" after those workers lost connectivity between their radar equipment and planes flying in and out of EWR.

Federal officials said the process "completely failed" and told news outlets that those air traffic controllers "temporarily lost radar and communications with the aircraft under their control, unable to see, hear, or talk to them."

At least five FAA employees took a 45-day leave of absence as a result of the incident, according to a report by CNN.

The FAA acknowledged that the agency's air traffic control equipment is outdated and is adversely affecting those responsible for making air travel safe.

"Our antiquated air traffic control system is affecting our workforce," FAA officials said in a statement posted on X. "We must get the best safety technology in the hands of controllers as soon as possible."

"We are working to ensure the current telecommunications equipment is more reliable in the New York area by establishing a more resilient and redundant configuration with the local exchange carriers," the agency continued. "In addition, we are updating our automation system to improve resiliency."

Due to the staffing shortage, airline delays had pushed into an unprecedented eighth day as of Monday, with no long-term relief in sight.

"While we cannot quickly replace them due to this highly specialized profession, we continue to train controllers who will eventually be assigned to this busy airspace," the FAA said.

As of Monday evening, more than 160 flights into and out of EWR were canceled, with more than 250 flights delayed, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware.

The FAA issued a brief ground stop at Newark Airport early Monday due to low cloud cover. That halt has since been lifted, but the agency is still forecasting delays of nearly four hours for inbound flights, with more delays expected in the coming days due to the staffing shortages.

The nationwide shortage of qualified air traffic controllers was compounded by the more than 20% of FAA workers who took leave from New Jersey's airport.

"Due to the event, the controllers took absence under the Federal Employees Compensation Act," the air traffic controllers’ union said in a statement.

US Sen. Chuck Schumer directed the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General to look into the issues at Newark before they take a domino effect across the country.

"The chaos at Newark could very well be a harbinger if issues like these aren’t fixed, and if the FAA can’t get real solutions off the ground," said Schumer, noting that the Trump administration has fired a significant number of FAA staff due to his Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) cost-cutting measures to streamline the federal budget.

"We’re here because the FAA is really a mess," Schumer told reporters. "This mess needs a real forensic look, a deep look into it."