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By Joe Edwards
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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has extended its ground delay advisory for Newark Liberty International Airport until Wednesday morning.
The FAA said that its delay warning will remain in place until nearly 6 a.m. ET on Wednesday, and added that the average flight delay time is 161 minutes.
Why It Matters
Newark Airport in New Jersey ranks among the nation's busiest. In 2024, it handled over 48 million passengers.
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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been grappling with a years-long shortage of air traffic controllers. Meanwhile, recent incidents—such as the crash of a passenger jet in Washington, D.C., earlier this year—have raised safety concerns among some travelers.
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What's Going On At Newark Airport?
The agency said that the delays had been caused by staffing issues, inclement weather, and construction on one of its runways.
The latest updates come after days of flight cancellations and delays at the airport, in particular due to a shortage of air traffic controllers.
Newark Liberty International Airport continued to experience significant flight disruptions this week, with 423 delays and 138 cancellations as of Sunday evening, and online flight tracker FlightAware citing a further 156 delays into or out of Newark and 99 cancellations as of about 10 a.m. ET. on Monday.
According to the FAA, multiple controllers took time off to recover from the stress of multiple recent outages. Due to the highly specialized nature of the profession, these workers cannot be quickly replaced, it said.
Additionally, one of the airport's three runways was shut down in April for construction work, which has also been partially blamed for the delays, CBS News reported.
Is It Safe To Fly Out Of Newark Airport?
"It is not a safe situation right now for the flying public," a federal air safety employee reportedly told NBC News correspondent Tom Costello over the weekend. "Don't fly into Newark. Avoid Newark at all costs."
In a Monday statement to Newsweek, a spokesperson for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates Newark Liberty International Airport, said it has "invested billions to modernize Newark Liberty, but those improvements depend on a fully staffed and modern federal air traffic system.
"We continue to urge the FAA to address ongoing staffing shortages and accelerate long-overdue technology upgrades that continue to cause delays in the nation's busiest air corridor."
What People Are Saying
The Federal Aviation Administration, in a statement to Newsweek on Tuesday: "Our antiquated air traffic control system is affecting our workforce. As [Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy] has said, we must get the best safety technology in the hands of controllers as soon as possible.
"We are working to ensure the current telecommunications equipment is more reliable in the New York area by establishing a more resilient and redundant configuration with the local exchange carriers. In addition, we are updating our automation system to improve resiliency.
"Frequent equipment and telecommunications outages can be stressful for controllers. Some controllers at the Philadelphia TRACON who work Newark arrivals and departures have taken time off to recover from the stress of multiple recent outages. While we cannot quickly replace them due to this highly specialized profession, we continue to train controllers who will eventually be assigned to this busy airspace.
"When staffing or equipment issues occur, the FAA will ensure safety by slowing the rate of arrivals into the airport. We will keep the public updated as we work through these issues."
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby, in a letter to customers: "These challenges are not new to Newark. United has been urging the US government for *years* to use its authority to effectively limit the number of flights to what the airport can realistically handle. Past failure to make those changes had led to the circumstances that United and, most importantly, our customers now face."
CNN correspondent Pete Muntean, on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday: "The average delay is two hours and 41 minutes. This is now the *ninth straight day* of staffing shortages at Newark approach control triggering delays."
What Happens Next
Duffy said last week that the FAA intends to introduce financial incentives aimed at addressing staffing shortages and strengthening its workforce, according to NBC in New York.
Update 5/6/25, 11:35 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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