United Airlines will eliminate 35 daily roundtrip flights (10% of its schedule) at Newark Liberty International Airport starting this weekend, CEO Scott Kirby announced Friday, citing FAA air traffic controller shortages and technology failures. FlightAware reports that more than 1,700 flights experienced delays or cancellations this week because 20% of Newark’s controllers were absent from their duties.
Kirby criticized the FAA’s chronic understaffing and outdated systems, urging capacity restrictions like those at LaGuardia. The FAA acknowledged staffing issues, while Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, after visiting a Philadelphia control facility, called for a new air traffic system. United diverted 21 flights due to outages, construction, and winds.
The Transportation Department offered controller incentives, addressing shortages worsened by COVID-era training pauses. United waived change fees for affected customers. Kirby praised the Trump administration’s infrastructure focus but stressed immediate action to prevent further disruptions at Newark, one of the nation’s most congested airports, as passengers face ongoing delays.
