Federal aviation officials are slashing the number of flights allowed to arrive and depart hourly at Newark Liberty International Airport by 27% until at least June 15.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a 14-page order late Tuesday that temporarily reduces the flight arrival and departure rate to no more than 56 flights per hour, down from 77 that had been allowed recently, until the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey expects to transition from daily construction to weekend work as they wind down a $121 million rehabilitation of one of the airport’s three runways, typically the airport’s busiest for departing flights.
“This Order is intended to relieve the substantial inconvenience to the traveling public caused by excessive flight delays at the airport due to construction, staffing challenges and recent equipment issues,” wrote Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau in the order. The change, he added, is designed to “provide a more efficient use of the nation’s airspace and alleviate temporary conditions exacerbating delays at [Newark Airport].”
After the daily construction period, the FAA said it will allow no more than 68 total flights per hour — 34 arrivals and 34 departures — until at least Oct. 25. Flights will reduce back to the 56 per hour rate on weekends from Sept. 1 through Dec. 31, when runway construction at the airport continues exclusively on weekends.
The flight cuts come as Newark Airport has for more than three weeks struggled with bursts of cancellations and delays due to a chronic shortage of air traffic controllers, equipment issues and repair work on the runway that’s led to major headaches for fliers with little end in sight.
The FAA convened meetings with the airline carriers that operate at Newark earlier this month and commended the airport’s major carriers, particularly United, American, Alaska, Spirit and Allegiant, for agreeing to modify their schedules.
United, which accounts for 68% of the flights at the airport, has already cut 35 daily round trips at Newark in response to the weeks of disruption at the airport following an April 28 technology outage. Newark is the Chicago-based airline’s biggest hub for international departures and it is a crucial gateway for the carrier’s domestic routes. United declined to comment.
“The FAA will continue to work with carriers to smooth their schedules and to adjust the timing of arriving and departing flights, wrote Rocheleau, “so as not to overwhelm a particular hour in the event of delays or other operational issues.”
