Denver air traffic controllers lose comms for 90 seconds amid ongoing FAA system struggles

Air traffic controllers in Denver lost communication with some aircraft for 90 seconds on Monday, forcing them to quickly switch to emergency backup frequencies, according to the FAA. Radar remained operational, and the agency said no safety incidents occurred, though the event underscores growing concerns over ageing FAA systems.

This marks the third major air traffic control outage in under three weeks, following two failures at the Philadelphia centre that disrupted flights at Newark Airport, now leading the nation in delays and cancellations.

FAA officials told Congress that both primary and main backup frequencies failed during the Denver incident. Rep. Robert Garcia called the situation “shocking,” citing long-standing staffing and equipment problems. Rep. Rick Larsen warned that safety improvements cannot wait decades.

The Trump administration recently unveiled a multibillion-dollar plan to overhaul the outdated air traffic control infrastructure, prompted by a string of serious incidents, including a fatal midair collision in January that killed 67 people.

Meanwhile, the FAA and airlines are in talks to cut flights at Newark, where 140 flights were cancelled Thursday, due to insufficient staffing at air traffic control centres.