FAA vows to accelerate Newark airport fixes — as Trump plans to overhaul air traffic control

The Federal Aviation Administration is committed to expediting repairs at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. President Trump has pledged to revamp the entire US air traffic control system, attributing ongoing issues to the prior administration.

Following technical difficulties that led to numerous flight cancellations, the FAA announced plans to enhance components of the air traffic control system managing operations at the Garden State airport. A disruption occurred when the radar system utilized by air traffic controllers in Philadelphia to guide planes in and out of Newark malfunctioned for at least half a minute last week.

The agency intends to upgrade the air traffic control infrastructure overseeing Newark Liberty International Airport. The current setup relies on radar information transmitted from New York through possibly malfunctioning, antiquated copper phone lines. To address this, the authorities will replace these old wires with fiber optics and incorporate three new data lines connecting New York and Philadelphia as part of the solution.

Additionally, the FAA is prioritizing the training and certification of more controllers. The timeline for these enhancements is not yet clear, but Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy anticipates improvements in Newark by summer.

Persistent disruptions at Newark and a series of recent aviation incidents in US airspace have prompted federal authorities to commit to modernizing the outdated air traffic control system nationwide. Trump criticized the Biden Administration’s handling of air traffic issues, particularly targeting former transportation head Pete Buttigieg as he pledged to rectify the situation.

Trump’s remarks coincided with an upcoming announcement by the transportation secretary unveiling a multi-billion-dollar plan to overhaul the system. Duffy affirmed the government’s dedication to addressing the situation and providing a new and improved system for the benefit of the public.