The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating a brief radio outage at Newark Liberty International Airport that occurred on Monday (May 19). The incident lasted for about two seconds and took place at the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facility, which manages Newark's airspace. Despite the brief disruption, all aircraft remained safely separated, according to the FAA.

This outage is the fourth such incident since April 28, when a 90-second loss of radar and radio communications led to five air traffic controllers taking trauma leave. The FAA has been dealing with ongoing issues at the facility, including staffing shortages and outdated technology. As a result, the FAA has reduced the number of arrivals at Newark to 28 per hour until June 15, after which it will increase to 34 per hour until October 25.

CNN reports that the FAA recently implemented a software patch and backup line to prevent further outages, but the latest incident has raised concerns about the effectiveness of these measures. The agency has also proposed a large-scale reduction of traffic at the airport to accommodate ongoing runway construction and updates.

The situation at Newark has placed the airport in the national spotlight, with passengers experiencing significant delays and cancellations. The New York Post notes that the FAA is working to update the facility, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has called for congressional funding to overhaul the air traffic control system.

As the FAA continues its investigation, the agency is managing the flow of traffic at Newark with a "ground delay" to ensure safety. Forbes reports that United Airlines has already cut 35 roundtrip flights per day from its Newark hub to address the ongoing challenges.

Steve Allan