Newark Airport Faces Hurdles: What’s Affecting Flights and Operations?

Person with backpack at airport window watching airplanes — Man in airport near gate windows at planes on runway.

Chaos ensues at Newark Liberty International Airport as flight delays stretch to nearly six hours amid critical staffing shortages and major runway repairs that will continue disrupting travel for another year.

Quick Takes

Newark Airport flights are facing average delays of up to 5 hours with nearly 20% of flights canceled due to air traffic controller shortages and runway construction.
One runway will remain closed until mid-June 2025 for a $121 million rehabilitation project, severely limiting airport capacity.
The FAA is approximately 3,500 air traffic controllers short nationwide, forcing mandatory overtime and six-day workweeks for current staff.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy acknowledged “cracks in the system” and announced plans to accelerate controller hiring and offer retention bonuses.
Minimum flight requirements at New York City-area airports have been extended through October 2025 due to ongoing staffing challenges.

Airport Operations Crippled by Multiple Challenges

Newark Liberty International Airport is experiencing unprecedented operational difficulties as multiple problems converge simultaneously. Flight delays have stretched to an average of 381 minutes (over six hours) for arriving flights, while departures face similar challenges. The disruptions stem from a perfect storm of issues: severe air traffic controller staffing shortages, equipment failures at control facilities, and major runway construction that has effectively halved the airport’s capacity at certain times. These problems have resulted in more than 400 flight delays and 200 cancellations on some days, creating a travel nightmare for thousands of passengers.

The situation became particularly dire when an FAA equipment malfunction at the Philadelphia airspace operations center compounded existing staffing limitations. This forced the FAA to issue a ground stop for Newark flights, creating a cascading effect that continued for days. United Airlines, which operates a major hub at Newark, has been especially hard-hit, with numerous flights diverted to alternate airports when they couldn’t land at Newark as scheduled. The disruptions have revealed the fragility of the air traffic control system when faced with multiple simultaneous challenges.

A shortage of air traffic controllers is causing problems at Newark Airport near New York City, which could see more flight delays as the busy summer travel season approaches. @trevorlault reports. pic.twitter.com/lcou9HsAOa

— Good Morning America (@GMA) May 2, 2025

Long-Term Runway Rehabilitation Creates Extended Disruption

A major contributor to Newark’s operational problems is an extensive runway rehabilitation project that has removed a critical runway from service. “One of our runways is closed for necessary repairs from now until mid-June 2025,” Newark Airport announced on social media. This $121 million project, while necessary for safety and infrastructure improvements, means the airport must operate with reduced capacity for more than a year. With fewer runways available, the airport has significantly less flexibility to handle normal traffic volumes, let alone address delays caused by weather or staffing issues.

The construction timeline means passengers traveling through Newark should expect potential disruptions well into next summer, particularly during peak travel periods. The FAA has already extended minimum flight requirements at New York City-area airports through October 2025, acknowledging that staffing challenges will persist alongside the construction issues. Travelers are being consistently advised to check their flight status before heading to the airport, as schedule changes and delays have become commonplace rather than exceptional.

Government Response to Staffing Crisis

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has publicly acknowledged the severity of the problems, describing them as “cracks in the system” that require immediate attention. The FAA is currently short approximately 3,500 air traffic controllers nationwide, creating a dangerous situation where existing controllers are working mandatory overtime and six-day workweeks to maintain basic operations.

The Department of Transportation has announced several initiatives to address the staffing crisis, including offering retention bonuses to encourage controllers to delay retirement, relocating controllers to understaffed facilities, increasing pay for new controllers, and streamlining the hiring process. “We’re hoping in three to four years we can get to full staffing, not 20 years,” Duffy stated. Additionally, the FAA plans to announce modernization efforts for air traffic control infrastructure and equipment, acknowledging that outdated technology is exacerbating the current problems.