Emergency Task Force Launched to Fix Newark ATC Outages
The Trump administration has established an emergency task force to resolve a string of telecommunications failures that have crippled air traffic control at Newark Liberty International Airport. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the panel on Monday, which will include executives from Verizon, defense contractor L3Harris and senior officials from the Federal Aviation Administration. Its mission is to build redundant communication lines between New York and Philadelphia, ensuring that no single outage can disrupt controller-to-pilot contact.
Over the past two weeks, Newark air traffic controllers lost their primary telecommunication feed on three separate occasions, each time for roughly 90 seconds. The first two outages, on April 28 and May 9, left controllers unable to see or talk to arriving and departing aircraft, triggering more than a thousand delays and cancellations. Many travelers spent hours waiting on tarmacs or in terminal holding areas, while some controllers took stress-related leave amid concerns over repeated system failures.
When the main line failed again last Sunday, a recently installed software patch allowed the backup connection to keep voice and data links online. Despite this improvement, controllers issued a 45-minute ground stop at Newark. That incident underscored the urgent need for a more robust infrastructure, prompting Duffy to convene the expert group. “We need three separate lines so that if one goes down, the others automatically take over,” he told reporters at the Department of Transportation briefing.
Duffy said he spoke with Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg on Sunday and that the telecommunications giant is moving “as fast as possible” to lay additional fiber and microwave links. L3Harris, which already maintains equipment at the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control center, will supply specialized hardware and software to bolster resilience. FAA Acting Administrator Chris Rocheleau called the team “the right technical experts,” adding that the group will provide daily updates on progress and maintain transparency with the traveling public.
The task force’s creation follows last week’s unveiling of a broader modernization plan for the entire U.S. air traffic control system, which is expected to cost tens of billions of dollars and overhaul radar, navigation and communications technology nationwide. Duffy said he awaits congressional approval of that long-term proposal, but in the short term, the administration must address the immediate vulnerabilities exposed at Newark.
To further mitigate delays, Duffy will host a “delay reduction” meeting on Wednesday with all carriers operating at Newark. United Airlines, which accounts for more than two-thirds of Newark’s flight capacity, has already announced voluntary schedule cuts, trimming 35 daily departures to ease traffic flow. Other carriers may follow suit if they cannot guarantee on-time performance amid system instability.
Industry observers warn that similar telecom failures could plague other busy airports unless quick action is taken. Newark is among the nation’s top five hubs, handling more than 50 million passengers annually before the pandemic. With summer travel season looming, officials emphasize that families and businesses should not endure multi-hour waits for flights that never depart.
By installing multiple, independent communications pathways and accelerating the broader ATC modernization agenda, the emergency task force aims to restore confidence in the system’s reliability. For now, travelers arriving at Newark can expect enhanced redundancy behind the scenes and, hopefully, fewer disruptions on the schedule board.
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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, cnbc.com