On Friday, United Airlines travelers suffered widespread delays. Staffing shortages with air traffic controllers shut down operations at Newark Liberty International Airport. More than 200 flights in and out of the New Jersey hub were canceled on Tuesday, stranding thousands of travelers. This compounded what had already been an unprecedentedly bad week, with more than 1,300 new delays and cancellations.
Newark, currently the most congested airport in the United States, is being hit especially hard with massive disruptions. These challenges spotlight a glaring issue that has vexed the aviation industry for decades. For his part, Scott Kirby, the CEO of United Airlines, is sounding an apocalyptic warning about the deepening shortfall of air traffic controllers. This staffing crisis has been exacerbated as the nation combats the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Emergency training freezes amid the pandemic intensified existing staffing shortages. Consequently, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was unable to keep up with operational needs.
On Friday, an FAA advisory acknowledged that staffing was a primary factor playing into the delays. It’s time the Transportation Department conceded this is an acute, ongoing crisis. They’re doing something about it by passing incentives to improve recruitment and retention of air traffic controllers. Even with all of this effort, the issue has become chronic, with the U.S. still facing a severe shortage of controllers.
When United Airlines’ hub at Newark Liberty International Airport experienced extreme outages, it was travelers who were forced to endure days-long surfboarding. This normal pent-up demand, paired with a lack of air traffic control staffing, led to a recipe for disaster in the travel space. The resulting congestion at Newark, on top of their own staffing deficiencies, highlighted the fragility and vulnerability of our aviation system.
The issues plaguing air traffic control isn’t a new phenomenon, but it’s challenges continue to grow with the expansion of air travel. The FAA is finding it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain sufficient staff. The lasting impact of the pandemic has exacerbated the crisis, leading to training stoppages and depleted workforce assets. As travel volumes continue to come back, the urgency for these solutions continues to grow.
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