Gottheimer calls on Congress to vote on administration’s FAA overhaul by June 1

NEWARK, NJ — U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) Friday visited Newark Liberty International Airport to demand swift action to address the air traffic control crisis that is causing massive flight delays and cancellations.

Gottheimer called on the Trump Administration to immediately submit an emergency funding request and for Congress to vote on it by June 1. The Administration announced plans this week to upgrade the outdated infrastructure for air traffic control towers and address the severe staffing shortages at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Congress must move without delay to pass funding to make these necessary upgrades.

Gottheimer is also calling on the FAA to establish a training program to fast-track military combat controllers (CCTs) to become FAA-certified air traffic controllers (ATCs). Many CCTs have the experience to help the current ATC staffing crisis, but are bogged down by red tape and a 2-3-year certification process.

Since Monday, May 5, 2025, there have been more than 1,700 cancellations and delays at Newark Airport — many of them last minute. Last week, a copper wire fried in the outdated tower and wiped out all communications between controllers and planes for 90 seconds, causing five air traffic controllers to go on trauma leave, further worsening delays and cancellations. New reporting reveals that another 90-second communications outage occurred earlier this morning.

“I am calling on the Trump Administration and Secretary Duffy to send their FAA air traffic control overhaul plan to Congress for us to vote on by June 1. We cannot wait a day longer to fix the technology issues at Newark, or the dire conditions and staffing issues we are seeing around the country,” said Gottheimer. “We must immediately surge investment and ensure we have enough people in the towers and on the ground to ensure safety in our skies. No more copper wires. No more outdated technology. We are the greatest country in the world. We must do this now.”

FAA Issues Causing Massive Delays

• Nationwide, FAA staffing is at its lowest point in nearly 30 years — with more than 90% of our nation’s air traffic control facilities operating below the FAA’s recommended staffing levels.
  • 73 facilities are missing a quarter of their workforce.
• In February, the Trump Administration announced they were gutting the FAA and fired 400 workers — adding to the staffing shortage and worsening the crisis.
• Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy admitted that the system for managing air traffic at Newark is “incredibly old” and “frail,” relying on floppy disks and copper wires instead of more modern fiber wires.
  • The Newark sector relies on a tower that was built in 1973 and uses outdated, inefficient technology from the 1980s.

Gottheimer’s New Action Announced Today: 

• Gottheimer demanded that the Trump Administration and Secretary Duffy send an emergency funding request to Congress to fund their air traffic control overhaul plan to be voted on by June 1.
  • Gottheimer is asking the FAA, working with the Port Authority, to conduct an immediate review of the technical wiring and infrastructure at Newark Airport and in the Philadelphia TRACON facility.
  • Gottheimer is calling on the Administration to surge more air traffic controllers from other parts of the country to this short-staffed region — the busiest airspace in the world.
• Gottheimer is calling on the FAA to establish a training program to safely and smartly fast-track military combat controllers (CCTs) to become FAA-certified air traffic controllers (ATCs).
  • Currently, red tape and a two to three-year certification process prevent CCTs from becoming FAA-certified ATCs.
• Gottheimer is calling for the FAA to have a plan to fully train all ATCs on any new equipment while upgrades are made.
• Gottheimer called on all airlines at Newark Airport to get ahead of cancellations and flight changes so families and passengers have more notice and flexibility on rebookings and refunds.