United Airlines Cuts Newark Flights After FAA Staffing Crisis
United Airlines announced it will cancel 35 roundtrip flights per day at Newark Liberty International Airport from this weekend after more than a thousand flights to and from the hub were disrupted earlier this week. In a message posted Friday, CEO Scott Kirby cited chronic Federal Aviation Administration staffing shortages and recurring technology failures as the primary drivers behind the schedule cuts.
The cancellations represent roughly 10 percent of United’s daily schedule at the busy New Jersey airport. Flight-tracking data from FlightAware shows that over 300 flights in and out of Newark were delayed by Friday afternoon, adding to more than 1,400 delays and cancellations since the start of the week. Kirby said that without changes at the FAA, no immediate resolution is in sight.
Kirby explained that approximately one in five air traffic controllers at Newark “walked off the job” in recent days amid multiple FAA technology outages. He warned that the facility has been chronically understaffed for years and that without additional personnel, Newark cannot safely handle the level of operations currently on the books for the coming weeks and months.
United is now urging the FAA to impose capacity restrictions at Newark similar to those in place at New York’s LaGuardia and Washington’s Ronald Reagan National Airport. The airline pointed out that a year ago the agency reassigned controllers from the Newark airspace facility to Philadelphia in an effort to ease congestion, a move that has not prevented continued delays and cancellations at the hub.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy posted on X that he visited the Philadelphia facility to meet with air traffic controllers and address aging equipment after recent outages. He described the situation as “unacceptable” and called for “an all-new air traffic control system.” Kirby said he spoke with Duffy on Friday and praised the Transportation Department’s commitment to investing in technology upgrades and infrastructure improvements.
Newark is among the most congested airports in the United States, and United has previously scaled back operations there because of similar challenges. The airline blamed runway construction, high winds and persistent FAA system failures for diverting at least 21 flights this week. With these latest cancellations, United aims to preserve schedule reliability and customer safety.
To mitigate passenger inconvenience, United is issuing travel waivers that waive change fees and fare differences for customers affected by the Newark disruptions. Impacted travelers can rebook on alternate flights without penalty, request refunds or receive travel credits. United’s customer service teams are actively assisting passengers experiencing extended delays or cancellations.
The revised schedule will take effect this weekend and is expected to remain in place until the FAA can address its staffing and technology deficiencies. United’s cuts underscore the airline’s focus on protecting customers from unpredictable disruptions while highlighting the urgent need for systemic reforms at the nation’s federal air traffic control system.
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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, cnbc.com