New York (AP) – Passengers with flights to Newark Liberty International Airport met long delays and cancellations on Saturday due to a shortage of air traffic controller, a national problem the Trump administration promised To repair.
THE busy airport Apart from New York, the city has experienced disturbances all week. Make it Federal aviation administration The alleged absence of taking up the “long -term” challenges linked to the air traffic control system, United Airlines reduced 35 daily flights from its Newark calendar from Saturday.
United CEO, Scott Kirby, said that the technology used to manage the Airports at New Jersey Airport has failed more than once in recent days. The flight delays, cancellations and embezzlement of the problems of equipment caused were aggravated when more than a fifth of Newark traffic controllers, “he said.
“This particular air traffic control installation has been in chronic sub -employed for years and without these controllers, it is now clear – and the FAA tells us – that Newark airport cannot manage the number of planes that should work there in the weeks and months to come” Letter to customers.
FAA airport reports said endowment problems caused average delays of almost two hours and as long as five hours for the flights which were to arrive in Newark on Saturday morning. Departures were delayed on average 45 minutes. And average delays of 45 minutes for departures on Saturday morning, according to the situation reports.
At the end of the afternoon, the flights arrived more than three hours late, while the delay for the starting flights had shortened at half an average. THE “Misery card” Supported by the Flightaware Flight Society showed the Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, Dallas airports and other cities.
United Airlines operates the most flights from Newark from afar, and 35 flights represent approximately 10% of the national round-trip calendar operated by the carrier and its UNITED Express regional network, According to information on the company’s website.
Newark Liberty International Airport stressed Endowment problems and “construction” When he warned travelers from delays on Thursday.
Trump administration says she tried to “Super charge” the workforce of the air traffic controller and take away The shortage of nation controllers. The American transport secretary, Sean Duffyannounced a program on Thursday to recruit new controllers and give existing incentives not to retire.
The National Air Traffic Cuellers Association, a workers’ union, said at the time that these movements could help respond to staff shortages, but also said that the system was ” long -awaited For technology and infrastructure upgrades. »»
Duffy said Friday That he visited “our air traffic controllers who work hard while we work to repair these equipment breakdowns caused by obsolete technology”.
United’s decision to bring back its flight schedule to Newark is already uncertain for American airlines. Potential customers through rebuilding industry if you have to fly for work or for vacation given all unknowns on this President Donald Trump’s trade war will do to the economy.
Uncertainty is so high that United recently made the unusual decision to offer two separate forecasts on how it could operate financially this year: one if there was a recession, and one otherwise.
From Newark, United Flies around 76 American cities and 81 international destinations.
