
FAA caps flight rates at Newark airport during runway construction, citing delay concerns
NEWARK, N.J. — The Federal Aviation Administration has issued an interim order limiting the number of arrivals and departures at Newark Liberty International Airport due to ongoing runway construction and air traffic system constraints.
Under the order issued Tuesday, the FAA will cap hourly flight operations at 28 arrivals and 28 departures until daily construction on Runway 4L/22R is completed on June 15. After that, construction will continue on Saturdays through the end of the year, and the reduced limits will remain in place during that time. Outside of construction periods, the limit will increase to 34 arrivals and 34 departures per hour through Oct. 25.
“Our goal is to relieve the substantial inconvenience to the traveling public from excessive flight delays due to construction, staffing challenges, and recent equipment issues, which magnify as they spread through the National Airspace System,” Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau said in a statement.
The order took effect May 20. The FAA presented the plan to airlines during a delay-reduction meeting held last week.
The agency said it may adjust the limits if it determines that additional capacity can be accommodated without significantly increasing delays — or that further reductions are needed.
To help address systemic issues, the FAA is taking several steps to improve air traffic management. These include installing three new high-bandwidth telecommunications links between the New York-based Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS) and the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON), upgrading copper lines to fiberoptic cables, and establishing a temporary backup system to ensure continuity during the transition.
The FAA is also creating a STARS hub at the Philadelphia TRACON to reduce its reliance on New York’s hub.
Additionally, the agency continues to increase staffing at the Philadelphia TRACON’s Area C, which manages Newark traffic. The facility currently has 22 fully certified controllers, five certified supervisors, and 21 personnel in training. Ten of the trainees are receiving on-the-job instruction, with all certified on at least one operational position.
The FAA said training classes for new controllers are filled through July 2026.