Newark airport delays are back tonight, and for the same reason as Friday. The FAA has put a ground delay program in place for Newark Liberty International Airport from 4 p.m. until 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, October 17, and its advisory lists the cause as staffing. In other words, there aren't enough air traffic controllers to handle the usual number of flights.
It's the second day in a row. On Friday night, a shortage of controllers led to a ground stop that kept flights bound for Newark from taking off at all.
Newark · FAA Ground Delay
Short on Controllers, Second Night Running
Contrail
What's Happening Tonight
A ground delay program means the FAA holds Newark-bound flights at their departure airports so they arrive at a pace controllers can manage. Tonight that pace is 26 arrivals an hour. According to the FAA, the average delay is 67 minutes, and some flights are being held for up to 116 minutes.
The program covers flights from airports across the continental US and six in Canada: Toronto Pearson, Toronto's Billy Bishop, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City and Halifax. Because the delay happens before takeoff, most passengers will spend it at their departure gate rather than circling in the air.
The Raise Starts Tomorrow
The timing is awkward. Controllers' 2.8% raise takes effect on Sunday, October 18, after the Transportation Department and their union reached a deal on Friday for their long-delayed raise. But a raise doesn't add controllers. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has said the US is roughly 3,000 short. Training a new one takes years.
What to Do if You're Flying to Newark
- Check your flight status in your airline's app before you leave for the airport.
- Expect to wait at your departure gate rather than in the air.
- If you're flexible, ask your airline about moving to JFK or LaGuardia, though delays can spread across New York airports.
This story will be updated.
