Delays and cancellations are piling up again Friday at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in Newark, New Jersey, due to air traffic control staffing shortages and construction on one of three runways.
As of Friday morning, around 500 flights were delayed at Newark and more than 200 were canceled, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware. The airport also is “currently experiencing inbound flights delayed at their origin an average of 1 hours 32 minutes,” it added.
Over 400 flights in and out Newark were delayed on Thursday, and more than 200 flights were canceled.
“Due to FAA staffing issues and construction #EWR is experiencing delays. Please contact your airline for the status of your flight,” the airport posted on X.
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One X user asked Thursday when the construction was expected to be complete, and the airport responded, saying, “One of our runways is closed for necessary repairs from now until mid-June 2025.”
Another X user asked why Newark has staffing issues, “every single day.”
“Good afternoon,” the airport responded. “Due to ongoing FAA staffing challenges, EWR is experiencing operational disruptions. Please check your flight status with your airline.”
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The FAA did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comments on staffing shortages and travel disruptions.
Still, the disruptions appear to be a growing trend at Newark International.
On Monday, the FAA said a series of issues prompted it to dramatically slow traffic at the airport, prompting United Airlines to divert at least 35 flights to other airports.
United – which is the largest carrier at the airport located just outside New York City – told Reuters that an FAA equipment malfunction caused a significant disruption.
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The equipment failure, the FAA told the wire service, was prompted by telecommunications and radar equipment issues at Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control, which guides aircraft in and out of Newark. Both issues were resolved, though staffing issues at Philadelphia continued to impact flights, the FAA said.
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The FAA last year relocated control of the Newark, New Jersey, airspace area to Philadelphia to address staffing and congested New York City area traffic.
It also extended cuts to minimum flight requirements at congested New York City-area airports through October 2025, citing air traffic controller staffing shortages.
Under minimum flight requirements, airlines can lose their takeoff and landing slots at congested airports if they do not use them at least 80% of the time. The FAA’s waiver allows airlines to fly fewer flights and still retain slots.
The FAA is about 3,500 controllers short of targeted staffing. A persistent shortage of controllers has delayed flights and, at many facilities, controllers are working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks.
FOX Business’ Greg Norman and Reuters contributed to this report.
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