Newark Airport hit with hundreds of delays and cancellations Sunday
Newark Airport continued to face major delays and cancellations Sunday, with more than 500 flights impacted.
By early evening, the airport reported 423 delays and 138 cancellations. On average, arriving flights are delayed up to four hours, while departures are facing delays of more than 30 minutes.
The Federal Aviation Administration instituted what's called a "flow constrained area," something typically seen in Florida due to heavy summer traffic or thunderstorms.
Sunday's delays surpassed the day before, when there were at least 377 delays and 82 cancellations.
On Friday, United Airlines said it would be cutting 35 flights a day from Newark because of the disruptions.
"It's now clear -- and the FAA tells us -- that Newark airport cannot handle the number of planes that are scheduled to operate there in the weeks and months ahead," United CEO Scott Kirby said in a statement. "It's disappointing to make further cuts to an already reduced schedule at Newark, but since there is no way to resolve the near-term structural FAA staffing issues, we feel like there is no other choice in order to protect our customers."
What's causing the delays at Newark Airport?
The FAA has blamed runway construction, as well as equipment outages and staffing levels in Philadelphia, where the air traffic control center oversees Newark's airspace.
Late last week, 20% of air traffic controllers in Philadelphia walked off the job, frustrated with the ongoing issues, a source familiar with the situation told CBS News.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is expected to announce the details of a plan to revamp the decades-old air traffic control system in the week ahead.
"I'm coming out with a plan that's gonna build a brand new air traffic control system, state of the art, gold plated, envy of the world, touching every phase of the systems that air traffic controllers use. We're gonna lay fiber, we're gonna get new radar, new radios, new ground sensors," Duffy said Friday.
Newark is one of the three major airports serving the New York City area. The delays are having a ripple effect on airports in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, Dallas and other cities, according to the flight tracking company FlightAware.
Travelers have been scrambling to rebook their flights, and customers are encouraged to check with their carriers for updates.
