The recent disruptions and delays at New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport have brought attention to the shortage of air traffic controllers and outdated equipment used in the aviation industry. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been working on a solution to address these issues, which have been exacerbated by the recent failures of radar and communication systems at the Newark airport.

The FAA has been in discussions with several airlines that operate out of Newark to discuss a plan to manage the traffic flow at the airport. This plan includes technical repairs and reducing the number of flights to accommodate the shortage of air traffic controllers. However, these issues are not new, as aviation safety has been in the spotlight since January’s midair collision between a passenger jet and a U.S. Army helicopter over Washington, D.C.

The recent incidents at Newark were caused by failures in the radar and communication systems, leading to disruptions in air traffic control for up to 90 seconds. This has resulted in a strain on the already limited staff at the Philadelphia control facility, with some controllers taking a 45-day trauma leave. The FAA has stated that they need a minimum of 38 controllers at Newark, but currently only have 22, with an additional 21 in training.

To manage the situation, the FAA has limited the number of flights at Newark to 24-28 arrivals and departures per hour, which is significantly lower than the usual 38-39 per hour. This has resulted in a high number of flight cancellations and delays at