Experts have described Newark's situation as a "perfect storm" involving an existing shortage of air traffic controllers, routine runway maintenance, and failing equipment.
Earlier developments included the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey approving a $134 million project in March 2024 to repave one of Newark's main runways. In June 2024, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) relocated air traffic control responsibilities from New York to Philadelphia due to high demand in the Northeast Corridor.
On April 28, air traffic controllers lost radar images and communications with aircraft for 90 seconds at the Philadelphia TRACON center serving Newark Airport. This incident was attributed to a failed telecommunication line traced back to a copper wire and a failed radar feed from an FAA facility.
Following this incident, Newark Airport was shut down for two hours while over 65 flights were diverted, 150 canceled, and 350 delayed. United Airlines subsequently canceled 35 daily flights from its schedule at Newark due to staffing and technological problems.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy called for immediate action on May 5 to increase controller numbers and upgrade equipment. On May 7, FAA officials committed to improvements including adding new telecommunications connections and deploying backup systems.
President Donald Trump announced an unprecedented plan on May 8 to rebuild the nation's air traffic control system with support from major airlines, labor unions, airport operators, and aircraft manufacturers. The program requires congressional approval but lacks a cost estimate.
Despite these efforts, another telecommunications outage occurred on May 9 affecting communications at Philadelphia TRACON. Radio communications quickly returned but many radar scopes did not.
On May 11, another outage led the FAA to impose a ground stop at Newark Airport for 45 minutes. However, federal officials reassured travelers that it is safe to fly in and out of Newark due to available backup systems.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated on "Meet the Press" that he personally flies out of Newark Airport and emphasized its safety despite outdated systems: “This is a system that‘s old... Now the lights are blinking... what you’re seeing in Newark will happen in other places in the country.”
United CEO Scott Kirby also appeared on "Face The Nation," assuring that flying remains safe: "It absolutely is safe at Newark... And the reason is when these kind of outages happen, we train for them."
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