Niamh Shackleton
An air traffic controller has reportedly urged travelers to stay away from one of America's busiest airports.
The US has almost 20,000 public and private airports across the country, but one in particular is facing serious issues — so much so that people are being warned to avoid it 'at all costs'.
That airport is Newark Liberty International Airport which usually has around 451 daily flights, says AirAdvisor. But this number has decreased in recent days as a result of cancellations that stem from staffing shortages.
There's also been a lot of rescheduled flights. On Sunday alone (May 4), over a third of flights were rescheduled while 10 percent were canceled, CNN reports.
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As to why this is happening, it largely comes down to staffing shortages and walk-outs.
On Friday, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said that 20 percent of controllers at Newark had 'walked off the job', sparking the airline to cancel 35 of its daily flights from the New Jersey-based airfield.
Kirby said of the ongoing situation, as per The Daily Beast: "Keep in mind, this particular air traffic control facility has been chronically understaffed for years and without these controllers, 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."
Echoing similar sentiments, an air traffic controller at the airport has reportedly said that it's 'not safe' for people to fly from there. The comment was made to MSNBC correspondent Tom Costello.
"He said, 'It is not safe. It is not a safe situation right now for the flying public'," Costello said of his conversation with the air traffic controller.
"Really an incredible statement, unsolicited. He just said that to me, and separately: 'Don’t fly into Newark. Avoid Newark at all costs'."
Technical failures are also believed to be playing a part in the ongoing chaos at Newark.
According to Kirby, on several occasions this week 'technology that FAA air traffic controllers rely on to manage the airplanes coming in and out of Newark airport failed – resulting in dozens of diverted flights, hundreds of delayed and canceled flights and worst of all, thousands of customers with disrupted travel plans'.
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy has also weighed in on the matter and said that the airport has an out-dated tech system.
He's since pledged to instal 'state-of-the-art' system at air traffic control facilities across the country, but this could take along long as four years to achieve.
Duffy also said that they were hoping to increase the number of air traffic controllers at the FAA to at least 2,000 employees, adding: "We’re hoping in three to four years we can get to full staffing, not 20 years. How do you make up the gap? We can’t snap our fingers to make up the numbers."
UNILAD have reached out The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which manages the Newark Airport, and the FAA for comment.