Newark Liberty International Airport experienced another radar and radio blackout early Friday, with air traffic controllers losing contact with planes for about 90 seconds due to a telecommunications failure at Philadelphia TRACON.
The outage caused 292 delays and 121 cancellations amid ongoing staffing issues, poor weather, and runway construction.
This follows a similar incident on April 28 that left controllers traumatised and triggered staffing shortages. The repeated failures have prompted a national overhaul of the U.S. air traffic control system.
FAA Statement
This information is preliminary and subject to change.
There was a telecommunications outage that impacted communications and radar display at Philadelphia TRACON Area C, which guides aircraft in and out of Newark Liberty International Airport airspace. The…
— The FAA ?? (@FAANews) May 9, 2025