Gottheimer demands DOT and Trump administration immediately add air traffic controllers at Newark Liberty International Airport to address delays

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) Tuesday demanded that the Trump Administration immediately deploy more air traffic controllers (ATCs) to cover Newark Liberty International Airport to help address the severe delays and cancellations that have been affecting families in Northern New Jersey this week.

Gottheimer also called on the Administration and Congress to immediately provide emergency funding to upgrade the outdated infrastructure for air traffic control towers and to reduce staffing issues.

For nine straight days, Newark Airport has seen massive delays and cancellations due to a severe shortage of air traffic controllers and outdated technology. 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. Last week, a copper wire fried in the outdated tower and wiped out all communications between controllers and planes for 90 seconds — causing five air traffic controllers to go on trauma leave, further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, according to Gottheimer.

The Newark sector is currently short an estimated 40 air traffic controllers who are responsible for Newark’s air traffic. Severe delays have prompted United Airlines’ CEO to tell customers to fly through other airports instead of Newark.

The Northeast region of the United States, which includes Newark, generates 20% of the nation’s GDP. In 2024, nearly 146 million air passengers flew in and out of the New Jersey-New York metro area — a new record.

“On a good day, air traffic controllers are under immense pressure to do a lot with the little they’re given. When the slightest error can be deadly, we must work together to help them save lives. I am demanding that the Trump Administration add more air traffic controllers to cover Newark Airport to immediately help reduce shortages — and pay all the workers accordingly. Overtime, bonuses, whatever it takes. We must keep our aviation workers on the job and reassure hardworking families that we are doing everything possible to prevent delays,” said Gottheimer. “I don’t want anyone going anywhere else. I want them to be able to go to Newark. Tell me what you need, so we can get it to you. The bottom line is that this isn’t a partisan issue — it’s a matter of public safety. It’s about fixing a system that needs fixing.”

FAA Issues Causing Delays

• This past weekend, an estimated 225 flights through Newark Airport were canceled, and more than 950 flights were delayed, some for up to four hours.
• 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.
  • Controllers are mandated to retire by age 56, and it can take up to four years to replace them.

• In February, the Trump Administration announced they were gutting the FAA and firing 400 workers — just adding to the staffing shortage.

Gottheimer’s new action include: 

• Gottheimer demanded that the Trump Administration add more air traffic controllers to cover Newark Airport to immediately help reduce shortages and delays, and to pay workers overtime or provide bonuses to make that possible.
• Gottheimer called on the Administration to immediately request emergency funding to upgrade the outdated infrastructure at air traffic control towers, which caused the communications failure last week.
• Gottheimer called for the FAA, working with the Port Authority (PANYNJ), to conduct a review of the technical wiring and infrastructure for air traffic control, especially the towers at Newark.
• Gottheimer is asking the House Appropriations Committee to immediately meet any request from the Administration to provide emergency resources to help fix both the technology and staffing issues.
• Gottheimer called on United Airlines, which handles approximately 58% of air traffic in and out of Newark, to get ahead of cancellations and flight changes, and to give customers more notice and complete flexibility on rebookings and refunds until this problem is solved.

Governor Murphy this week sent a letter to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy regarding recent delays and cancellations of flights that have impacted thousands of travelers at Newark Liberty International Airport due to outdated technology infrastructure and air traffic controller staffing issues.

In his letter, the Governor praised Secretary Duffy for his efforts to supercharge the hiring of air traffic controllers nationwide and reverse the decades of staffing decline at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

“Decades of underinvestment in the maintenance of critical air traffic control infrastructure, delays in upgrading to modern 21st century air traffic control technology, and inadequate air traffic control staffing have resulted in a frail system nationwide,” wrote Governor Murphy. “The FAA has stated that American airspace is short 3,000 air traffic controllers and I appreciate your efforts to retain and hire additional controllers. As the FAA works to address the yearslong shortfalls, I urge you to prioritize the region, the busiest airspace in the nation, by immediately addressing Philadelphia TRACON Area C staffing levels and developing a plan to address chronic staffing shortages at New York TRACON.

“As you work with Congress to fund additional investments in air traffic management systems, the New Jersey-New York region should be prioritized for technology and facility upgrades to help the more than 144 million passengers coming through Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) operated airports annually,” continued Governor Murphy. “We expect millions of additional passengers next year as we prepare to host the World Cup Finals and must avoid additional disruptions or strains on the system.”