United Airlines continues to be dissatisfied with the air traffic control situation at its primary hub at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). The United States has been grappling with a shortage of ATC personnel, and some airports, like Newark, have been affected more than others.
Disruption due to ATC shortage
United Airlines
has once again voiced its concern over “significant disruption” for passengers at its hub in Newark due to the shortage of air traffic controllers. The airline has had to tweak its flight network out of the airport in recent times and also faces continued delays and cancelations due to the ongoing issue of ATC staff shortages.
According to a Reuters report, the airline said that on 12 days out of the first 25 days in November, the FAA had to reduce Newark’s traffic simply because there were not enough controllers to manage the flights smoothly.
Photo: EQRoy | Shutterstock
United noted that this caused disruption to the travel plans of more than 343,000 passengers, adding that 1,880 passengers were affected by flight cancelations on November 15 alone and 24,558 were affected by gate and other delays.
Minimum flight cuts to continue at NYC-area airports
The airports serving the New York City area, which also includes New Jersey-based Newark Liberty International Airport, have been hit hard by ATC staff shortages. Airlines have to deal with added costs of flight cancelations, delays, as well as longer flight and taxi times.
Looking at the situation, airlines sought an extension to minimum flight requirements in the busy airports serving the New York City area earlier this year. To keep landing and takeoff slots at congested airports, airlines must maintain 80% of their schedule. However, they found themselves in a situation where they could not use their slots per this requirement due to added congestion from ATC shortages.
Photo: Eliyahu Yosef Parypa | Shutterstock
The Federal Aviation Administration listened to the request and, in June, extended the minimum flight requirements for New York City-area airports through October 2025.
Related
Here’s Why US Aviation Has Been Experiencing Air Traffic Controller Shortages
The industry is experiencing disruptions as shortages prevail.
Shortage persists even as hiring intensifies
The development comes at a time when the United States is in the middle of one of its biggest traveling periods. Millions of Americans travel across the country in airplanes to meet their friends and family for the Thanksgiving holiday this time of the year, and the ATC shortage could disrupt the travel plans of many.
Photo: Paparacy | Shutterstock
As reported by Simple Flying a few days ago
, the FAA said that ATC staff shortages could potentially result in flight delays during the busy Thanksgiving traveling period. It said,
“During the Thanksgiving travel period, we will use traffic flow management initiatives to deal with any staffing shortages on that particular day in this airspace, and we expect to have some of those shortages. So, we’re working diligently to make sure that that can operate as efficiently as possible.”
The FAA is also busy hiring new ATC personnel, but the shortage is so acute that no immediate relief is in sight. The agency recently announced that it
hired more than 1,800 new air traffic controllers this year
, the highest number of annual new hires in over a decade. Hopefully, this will help control the situation to some extent in the near future.