Camilla Jessen
A communication blackout at one of America’s busiest airports has raised questions.
For nearly a minute, pilots flying near Newark Liberty International Airport were left in the dark — literally — after air traffic controllers lost radar and radio contact with several aircraft.
The incident occurred on April 28.
It has prompted sharp criticism of the Federal Aviation Administration’s aging infrastructure and renewed concerns about air travel safety.
According to audio published by LiveATC.net and reported by the BBC, a pilot approaching from New Orleans can be heard calling the tower five times:
“Control tower, are you there?” — with no response.
Thirty seconds later, the tower finally replies: “We hear you loud and clear.”
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that communications were lost for about 30 seconds.
However, some accounts suggest the outage lasted up to 90 seconds, a dangerous span of time given the volume of air traffic in the New York metro area.
“Flying Blind” Over a Busy Sky
One air traffic controller is heard telling a United Airlines pilot:
“I’m moving you here because I was just told the landing lost all radar. Three of their four radar screens went black and they have no frequencies.” The pilot responds calmly: “Okay, we’re ready to move.”
Though no collisions or near-misses occurred, the incident delayed hundreds of flights, disruptions that rippled into the following days.
Senator Chuck Schumer of New York called the situation “a close call,” saying, “That’s 90 seconds of a sky full of planes literally flying blind over one of the busiest airports in America. Thank God nothing happened, but we’re pushing our luck if changes aren’t made.”
FAA Under Pressure
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) acknowledged the glitch and pointed to deeper issues.
In a statement, the agency said: “Our outdated air traffic control system is affecting our workforce.”
Transportation Secretary Duffy called it “a sign that we have a fragile system and it needs to be fixed.”
Just last week, United Airlines announced it was cutting 35 daily flights, citing the airport’s inability to manage its current traffic volume.