Software Update Keeps Newark Airport Radar Online, But Network Worries Persist With Flight Limits

A new software update prevented a third radar outage in the last two weeks at New Jersey's busy Newark airport when a telecommunications line failed again over the weekend, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Monday.

Related video above: White House overhaul of troubled US air traffic control system

At a news conference, Duffy also said the recent problems that have led to hundreds of cancellations and delays in Newark could have been avoided had action been taken by President Joe Biden's administration to better equip the air traffic control facility in Philadelphia — particularly after issues with the hardware in October and November that should have set off alarms.

Duffy said the update the Federal Aviation Administration installed Friday night helped ensure the backup system worked on Sunday when there was another problem with the primary line coming into Philadelphia's air traffic control facility. When a similar issue happened Friday and on April 28, the radar and communications systems went offline briefly, leaving controllers unable to see or talk to the planes.

Following the initial event, the FAA imposed restrictions on arrivals at Newark Liberty International Airport, largely due to multiple air traffic controllers taking trauma-related leaves of absence, which exacerbated the pre-existing understaffing issue. These measures were implemented to ensure flight safety but, coupled with concurrent runway improvement works in Newark, resulted in widespread cancellations and delays. Later this week, the FAA plans to convene with all carriers to deliberate whether these constraints should be extended through the summertime.

Video below: Secretary Duffy makes comment that other airports could see similar issues as those seen at Newark

Despite the radar system remaining operational on Sunday, concerns arose due to the two preceding malfunctions. Consequently, Duffy mentioned that they halted all air traffic at Newark airport for roughly 45 minutes as a safety measure.

Duffy stated that he plans to seek an inquiry into the relocation of Newark air traffic controllers from New York to Philadelphia last year. The purpose is to ascertain why insufficient measures were taken to prevent potential issues. It’s worth noting that Philadelphia lies approximately 85 miles southwest of Newark.

"The Biden-Buttigieg FAA bungled this move without properly hardening the telecom lines feeding the data, which was already well-known to be error-prone," Duffy said. "Without addressing the underlying infrastructure, they added more risk to the system."

Duffy additionally mentioned that the FAA ought to have established a fresh radar system for Newark in Philadelphia rather than transmitting the signal from New York for the controllers.

Duffy and President Donald Trump have said that the problems in Newark are a prime example of why they developed a multibillion-dollar plan to overhaul that nation's air traffic control system, unveiled last week. Duffy blames the Biden administration for failing to do that, but those problems go back decades, even before the first Trump administration.

A consultant for ex-Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg suggested that Duffy ought to dedicate more effort towards addressing national issues. The adviser also supported the Biden administration’s initiatives aimed at increasing recruitment for air traffic controllers and making initial progress toward resolving certain infrastructural challenges.

"Secretary Duffy faces a challenging role. However, he should dedicate more of his time to address issues as the American public expects from him, rather than constantly pointing fingers at others," stated Chris Meagher.

Last week, Duffy presented a comprehensive strategy for updating the country’s obsolete air traffic control system. This involved setting up 4,600 advanced high-speed data links along with swapping out 618 radar units. However, aside from mentioning that it would be costly enough to reach into billions, he did not provide specific financial details.

The FAA has put in place new fiber-optic cables at Newark Airport as well as John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia Airports in New York to replace outdated copper wiring following the initial disruption. However, they intend to dedicate the upcoming two weeks to test these new lines prior to making the switch.

READ MORE: Software update keeps Newark airport radar online but network concerns and flight limits remain

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