A piece of burnt copper wire sparked a 90-second air traffic control blackout at Newark Liberty International Airport last week, prompting workers to take trauma leave as chaos ensues at the travel hub.
The New Jersey airport has entered its second week of massive hold ups, as the Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground delay for the eighth consecutive day.
Flights are being delayed an average of nearly four hours on Monday. There were 339 delays and 153 flight cancellations at Newark by 6:30 pm ET, according to Flight Aware.
The busy airport outside New York City experienced disruptions all week, which officials blamed on air traffic controller staffing issues and outdated equipment.
The massive delays come as the Trump administration has worked to overhaul the US aviation industry, while the president has blamed DEI for the recent spate of flight disasters.
On April 28, air traffic controllers in Philadelphia, who are responsible for directing aircrafts in at Newark, experienced a 90-second blackout due to a burnt wire.
‘[Controllers] temporarily lost radar and communications with the aircraft under their control, unable to see, hear, or talk to them,’ the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) said.
‘Due to the event, the controllers took absence under the Federal Employees Compensation Act. This program covers all federal employees that are physically injured or experience a traumatic event on the job.’
Newark Liberty International airport has entered its second week of massive hold ups. Pictured: people wait in line for a delayed flight at the New Jersey airport on Monday
On April 28, air traffic controllers in Philadelphia, who are responsible for directing aircrafts in at Newark, experienced a 90-second blackout due to a burnt wire
The busy airport outside NYC experienced disruptions all week (picture: Newark’s delays on Monday), which officials blamed on staffing issues and outdated equipment
The FAA last year relocated control of the Newark airspace area to Philadelphia to address staffing and congested New York City area traffic.
At least five FAA employees took 45 days of leave as a result of the incident, sources told CNN.
On Monday, the FAA admitted their ‘antiquated air traffic control system is affecting our workforce.’
‘Frequent equipment and telecommunications outages can be stressful for controllers. Some controllers at the Philadelphia TRACON who work Newark arrivals and departures have taken time off to recover from the stress of multiple recent outages.
‘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.’
New York Sen. Chuck Schumer addressed the blackout at a press conference Monday and called for a probe into a probe into ongoing flight disruptions at Newark airport.
‘One of the things that happened in Newark is that a copper wire burnt,’ said Schumer. ‘Why are we using copper wire in 2025? Have they heard of fiber?’
‘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.’
Sen. Chuck Schumer (pictured) addressed the blackout at a press conference Monday and called for a probe into a probe into ongoing flight disruptions at Newark airport
A woman sleeps during flight delays and cancellations at Newark International Airport on Monday
The April 28 blackout prompted workers to take trauma leave as chaos ensues at the travel hub (pictured: travelers going through security on Monday)
‘We’re here because the FAA is really a mess. This mess needs a real forensic look, a deep look into it.’
United Airlines cut 35 daily flights from its Newark schedule starting Saturday, citing the FAA’s alleged failure to address ‘long-simmering’ challenges related to the air-traffic control system.
United CEO Scott Kirby said the technology used to manage planes at the New Jersey airport failed more than once in recent days.
The flight delays, cancellations and diversions the equipment problems caused were compounded when more than one-fifth of Newark’s traffic controllers ‘walked off the job,’ he said.
‘This particular air traffic control facility has been chronically understaffed for years and without these controllers, it´s now clear – and the FAA tells us – that Newark airport cannot handle the number of planes that are scheduled to operate there in the weeks and months ahead,’ Kirby wrote in a letter to customers.
The NATCA rejected the notion that the ‘walked off’ and defended their decision to take leave.
‘The controllers did not “walk off the job” as it has been reported by the media,’ the group said.
‘The dedicated, American, hard-working employees who serve as controllers are the foundation of our air traffic control system. These controllers and the thousands of other aviation safety professionals represented by NATCA ensure the safe and efficient movement of millions of passengers and tons of cargo through our dynamic airspace every day.’
Flights at Newark are being delayed an average of nearly four hours on Monday. Pictured: people wait for a delayed flight on Monday
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who intends to propose a plan next week to fix badly crumbling air traffic control infrastructure, visited the FAA Terminal Radar Approach Control at Philadelphia on Friday.
‘The technology that we are using is old. That´s what is causing the outages and delays we are seeing at Newark,’ Duffy said.
The Trump administration said it’s been trying to ‘supercharge’ the air traffic controller workforce and make moves to address the nation’s shortage of controllers.
Duffy announced a program to recruit new controllers and give existing ones incentives not to retire on Thursday.
The NATCA said at the time that those moves could help address staffing shortages, but it also said the system is ‘ long overdue for technology and infrastructure upgrades.’
Duffy said on Friday that he visited with ‘our hard working air traffic controllers as we work to fix these equipment outages caused by outdated technology.’
Since the beginning of 2025, at least 143 people have died in 36 US aviation incidents, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
Trump vowed to purge DEI – diversity, equity and inclusion – from U.S. aviation, among other federal agencies, in the wake of the deadly midair collision at Reagan National airport in January that claimed 67 lives.
