FAA Meeting With Airlines to Discuss Limiting Flights at Newark

The Federal Aviation Administration is beginning a two-day meeting with major airlines to consider cutting flights at Newark Liberty International Airport to curb delays today, Wednesday, May 14. 

According to Reuters, this is the first Delay Reduction Meeting in over 20 years. It will be held between Transportation Secretary Duffy and representatives for major airlines. 

In the FAA’s latest notice about Newark dated May 12, it noted the administration has already been “slowing arrivals and departures at Newark Liberty International Airport due to runway construction at Newark and staffing and technology issues at Philadelphia TRACON, which guides aircraft in and out of the airport.”

United Airlines uses Newark as one of its main hubs; it has already cut flights and has expressed support for the FAA’s plan to limit the number of flights that can operate from the airport. 

The airport has been beset by three weeks of technical issues since April 28, when over 1,000 flights were canceled. 

Subsequent issues also made the airport the subject of several headlines, with Transportation Secretary Duffy using it as proof that the nation’s air traffic control technologies need to be updated—a plan he announced would be completed during President Trump’s time in office, but has yet to be funded by Congress. Estimates suggest the plan would cost several billion dollars to complete.

"The airport clearly is unable to handle the current level of scheduled operations," the FAA said ahead of the meeting, noting that limiting flights "would reduce overscheduling, flight delays, and cancellations to an acceptable level."

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