Air traffic control at Newark Airport briefly lost communication with aircraft, kicking off travel chaos
After the incident last week, the controllers from the Philadelphia TRACON took leave under the Federal Employees Compensation Act.
Air traffic controllers temporarily lost communication with aircraft flying in and out of Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey last week, an incident that has continued to cause major delays at the travel hub.
Last Monday, a ground stop was issued at Newark airport because of a Federal Aviation Administration equipment malfunction. The administration has still not clarified what the malfunction was.
During the incident, air traffic controllers in Area C of the Philadelphia TRACON, a traffic control facility that guides flights in and out of Newark, lost communication with aircraft traveling to and from the airport, making them unable to see, hear or talk to them, according to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA). The air traffic controllers are in charge of "separating and sequencing aircraft in and out of Newark Airport."
It's not clear how long the air traffic controllers lost communication with the aircraft.
The event led the air traffic controllers to take leave under the Federal Employees Compensation Act, which covers federal employees who are physically injured or experience traumatic events on the job, according to NATCA, a union that represents around 20,000 aviation professionals.
While the union did not elaborate on what caused the communication loss, it said it supports Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's "efforts to upgrade and modernize our nation’s air traffic control systems and infrastructure."
