Read, Watch or Listen

The FAA confirmed a second telecommunications outage impacting radar and communications at Philadelphia TRACON, affecting Newark Liberty International Airport. The 90-second outage on May 9th follows a similar incident on April 28th, described as 'the most dangerous situation' by an air traffic controller. The outages stem from a single data feed system, prompting the FAA to plan a fiber optic upgrade and deploy a backup system. Hundreds of flights were delayed at Newark, further exacerbated by runway construction and reported staff absences due to stress from the incidents.

Prepared by Emily Rhodes and reviewed by editorial team.