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Newark Liberty Airport could be limited to 56 flights per hour through mid June

By
Tim McNicholas
Tim McNicholas
Tim McNicholas is a reporter for CBS News New York. He joined the team in September 2022 after working in Chicago, Indianapolis, Toledo and Hastings, Nebraska.
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Tim McNicholas

/ CBS New York

There is more bad news for Newark Liberty International Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration wants to keep reducing flights at the troubled airport for months to come.

That means fewer options for travelers as the federal government works to fix equipment and staffing issues.

"We have a plan to fix Newark. We ask for your patience"  

The FAA says the reduced capacity is needed as it assembles a team of experts to fast track upgrades to the system.

The agency is currently allowing about 56 flights per hour at Newark even though its records show the airport typically has a capacity for over 70 per hour if the weather allows it.

The federal government says, at a meeting with airline executives this week, it will propose keeping the current rate in place at least for the next month.

"We're not doing it to annoy people. We're not doing it to delay peoples' travel. What we're doing is guaranteeing safety," U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said.

The agency says in the past two weeks it has replaced Newark's copper lines with fiber and is now working to launch the new lines. The federal government also says it is working with Verizon to improve telecommunication connections for Newark's air traffic controllers, who have now dealt with three equipment malfunctions in two weeks, including two radar outages that lasted between 30 and 90 seconds.

"We are going to fix Newark. We have a plan to fix Newark. We ask for your patience," Duffy said.

Duffy said he's also requesting an inspector general investigation into the FAA's relocation of Newark's controllers to Philadelphia last year.

Travelers wary of flight reductions at Newark Liberty

Passengers say they are very concerned about what the flight reductions will do their travel plans and tourism.

"If they reduce the flight capacity here that means we'll have to go to local airports, like little ones. That would really suck," frequent Newark Liberty traveler Daley Bandale said.

"It's going to really hurt business. It's going to really hurt tourism. This is a major hub. They better fix the system," John Petito said.

"I think whatever makes people safe and the air traffic here is congested, and whatever's the best for the travelers," Clare Stonesifer added.

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