Gritty Discourse: The FAA and Air Traffic Control Modernization with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy
United Airlines reductions in flights at Newark airport because of disruptions, technical problems, and FAA shortages in staffing.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy lays it all out in a raw, unfiltered talk about the Federal Aviation Administration and the modernization of air traffic control.
United Airlines is crying "uncle" by axing 35 round-trip cruises daily at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey following a week of aircraft delays that left thousands of passengers in a bind.
CEO Scott Kirby took to the sulks on Friday, blaming the mess on air traffic control staffing shortages and rotten tech from the FAA.
"It's a goddamn shame to slash even more flights to an already depleted schedule at Newark, but since there's no chance in hell the FAA can resolve its near-term structural staffing issues, we're left with no other recourse than to safeguard our customers," Kirby snarled in a message to customers announcing the cancellations, which kick off this weekend.
Puffs of smoke could be seen rising on the runway as a flight headed for Hawaii was forced to abort takeoff from LAX due to an unstable nose wheel.
More than 200 flights were delayed and nearly 20 were canned on Friday at Newark, according to the flight-tracking site FlightAware. On Thursday, around 500 flights in and out of Newark were delayed, and close to 200 were nixed.
Kirby pointed out that a fifth of Newark's air traffic controllers bailed on their posts in recent days, compounding their tech glitches.
"Keep in mind, this Godforsaken airport has been chronically understaffed for years, and without these controllers, it's now patently clear - and the FAA tells us - that Newark can't deal with the number of planes scheduled to operate there in the weeks and months ahead," he griped.
On Monday, the FAA conceded a sequence of issues prompted it to severely curb traffic at the airport, resulting in United Airlines diverting at least 35 flights to other airports.
In a bid to address the ongoing crisis, Kirby chatted with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy prior to thanking the Trump administration for whipping up a proposal for a "monumental, systemwide investment" in FAA tech, infrastructure, and staffing.
"In the long slog, it's the only way to fix the systemwide problem," Kirby groused. "Now, we're pushing them to apply their ballsy leadership to Newark's chaos by designating it as a slot-controlled, Level 3 airport."
Enrichment insights:
- The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is implementing staffing and training initiatives, traffic management, and infrastructure upgrades.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is focusing on hiring and retention initiatives, streamlining the hiring process, and modernizing the FAA's infrastructure.
- These measures aim to address both the staffing shortages and tech issues affecting Newark Liberty International Airport and the broader national air traffic control system.
The transportation industry faces a critical challenge as staffing shortages and outdated technology within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) impact air traffic control, as evident in recent events at Newark Liberty International Airport. In an effort to address these issues, United Airlines' CEO, Scott Kirby, has advocated for a substantial investment in FAA infrastructure, technology, and staffing, aiming to streamline and modernize the system to benefit the finance sector, including the aviation industry.
