Another Major Hiccup at Newark Airport: Cause and Consequences
Unsettling Airport Security Break at Newark Aviation Hub Close to New York City
You've definitely heard about the second major hitch at Newark Liberty International Airport, located west of The Big Apple, as of late. According to official updates, on Friday, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported a 1.5-minute ban on communication with the pilots commanding both arriving and departing aircraft. Consequently, radar screens and ground telecommunications systems went kaput.
This mishap transpired on Friday morning at 3:55 AM local time and lasted around 90 seconds, as revealed in a terse FAA statement. Interestingly, a similar incident had unfolded on April 28, causing various flight cancellations at the same airport. Given the first debacle, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy declared a sweeping overhaul of the outdated air traffic control system in the United States just the previous day. This revamp aims to modernize tech from the 1960s by the close of 2028.
Overcrowded, Newark is one of three airports catering to the New York metropolitan area, and aviation safety is currently a burning issue in the nation. In fact, just a few months prior, the United States encountered the country's deadliest aircraft collision since 2009 at the national airport in Washington, DC, claiming 67 lives.
Backstory
Though not precisely a "security breach" like an unauthorized firearm detection or a stowaway situation, this incident constitutes a significant operational and safety malfunction at the airport.
Throwback to the Past
The U.S. air traffic control system, including Newark's infrastructure, is marred by technology that harkens back to the 1960s. Key aspects connecting the recent hiccup to technological obsolescence are:
- Equipment Fizzling Out — United Airlines CEO, Scott Kirby, noted that the technology handling planes at Newark failed multiple times in recent days, causing delays, cancellations, and diversions, exacerbating the impact of the recent communication lapse [1].
- Staffing — The Air Traffic Control (ATC) staffing predicament partially stems from the difficulty in operating and maintaining these aging systems. With such technology being less user-friendly and more susceptible to breakdowns, the job becomes more challenging and less appealing to fresh recruits [2][1].
- System Constraints — Dating back to the '60s, the technology limits the capacity and dependability of air traffic management, particularly at busy airports like Newark. When staffing or equipment issues crop up, it can trigger a chain reaction of problems [1].
A Bigger Picture
These problems at Newark signal persistent underfunding and technological archaism in U.S. ATC infrastructure. Although not a traditional "security breach," these operational failings point to systemic inadequacies linked to antiquated technology and scant modernization efforts [1].
- A technician, given the recurring malfunctions at Newark Airport, might face increased pressure due to outdated technology harking back to the 1960s.
- The ongoing communication ban with pilots, akin to the incident on April 28, underscores the need for a security breach investigation at US airports, particularly Newark Airport in New York.
- On Thursday, political discussions and general news circles might touch upon the potential whatsapp group among controllers at Newark Airport, as a means to communicate during the recent outage.
- The recent aviation mishap at Newark Airport, which pushed air traffic control staff to their limits, could find its way into crime and justice headlines if the cause is found to be a deliberate act rather than an equipment failure.
