United Airlines issues travel waiver for flights to and from Newark

United Airlines has announced the issuance of a travel waiver for flights affected by an equipment malfunction at Newark Liberty International Airport. The announcement was made via a post on X.

On April 28, 2025, Newark Liberty International Airport experienced significant disruptions due to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) equipment malfunction. This issue involved radar and telecommunications systems at the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control, which oversees Newark's airspace. Consequently, the FAA implemented a ground stop, halting all flight operations at Newark for several hours. This incident highlights ongoing challenges faced by the FAA, including equipment reliability and staffing shortages.

According to United Airlines, the largest carrier at Newark, there were substantial operational impacts due to the FAA's equipment malfunction. The airline diverted at least 35 flights, including transatlantic routes, to alternative airports across the U.S. East Coast. Despite the FAA resolving the technical issues, staffing shortages continued to affect flight operations, leading to average departure delays exceeding three and a half hours and arrival delays around 48 minutes.