For those planning out of Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey in the coming weeks, you might want to take some extra precautions.
The airport is currently undergoing going mass flight delays and cancellations due to a vast staffing shortage which has now gone on for over a week.
A walkout by over 20% of FAA controllers at Newark Airport is at the heart of the hub’s travel delays, which occurred last week as a result of what they felt was a result of chronic understaffing, overwhelming workloads, and concerns about safety and working conditions.
Plus, one of the airport main runways (4L-22R) is closed for a major rehabilitation project until mid-June, and outages in air traffic control technology and telecommunications have hampered operations and created a more congested runway system.
The Federal Aviation Administration even went on far as grounding all flights at Newark Airport on Monday morning (which has since lifted) due to low cloud cover and weather.
Strike causes hundreds of delays, impacts travelers
Travelers have felt the backlash of the strike, with over 130 flights being canceled and 200 more delayed as of this morning.
This comes after about 225 flights into or out of Newark Airport were canceled over the weekend, and more than 950 flights delayed, according to FlightAware.
A cause for even more concern: Newark’s largest carrier United Airlines is being impacted the most, having to cut 35 round-trip flights daily (about 10% of its schedule) to cope with the reduced capacity and protect customers from last-minute disruption.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy called the airport situation “completely and utterly unacceptable” in a social media post over the weekend.
Meanwhile, Senator Chuck Schumer has called for a federal investigation into the FAA’s handling of the situation saying “the FAA is really a mess.”
What travelers need to know before their Newark flight
All travelers moving through the airport in the coming days and weeks need to be extra watchful on their flight status before heading to the airport.
Delays and cancellations are expected to continue (including many on United), so be sure to plan ahead before being disappointed at the airport.
Also remember to be patient with airport and airline employees if something goes wrong.
If you plan on booking a trip soon through Newark, consider purchasing a flight earlier in the day when it’s less likely to be disrupted or canceled.