Newark Airport Outages: Is it Safe to Fly? Transportation Secretary Weighs In

Newark Airport Outages: Transportation Secretary Assures Safety Amidst Persistent Problems Newark, NJ – May 13, 2025 – Recent air traffic control outages at Newark Liberty International Airport have caused significant flight delays, raising concerns among travelers. However, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy insists that flying remains safe, despite the ongoing issues. "It's safe," Duffy stated in an interview with CNBC, "because we have numerous redundancies in place at the FAA." He explained that when telecommunication issues arise, air traffic is slowed to ensure safety. This procedure was implemented twice in the last two weeks due to the outages. Duffy acknowledged that the problems are rooted in an aging telecommunication system reliant on copper wires instead of fiber optics, coupled with a shortage of air traffic controllers. He revealed that these challenges have been identified for years, with government watchdog groups issuing warnings to previous administrations. Despite these warnings, no action was taken until now. "This has been a problem burning for a number of years," said Duffy. "Watchdog groups in government gave warnings to the last administration that this was a problem. Nothing was done." The Secretary highlighted that solutions are now in place, but these require time and resources. He indicated that securing funding from Congress is crucial to implement these long-term fixes, a process he estimates will take two to four years. The administration is committed to upgrading the infrastructure and ensuring a more robust and reliable air traffic control system for the future.