The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is cutting down the number of flights coming in and taking off from embattled Newark Liberty International Airport to combat delays and reduce congestion.
The FAA issued an interim order Tuesday, ensuring that the number of arrivals and departures at the airport will be capped at 28 per hour until the construction of Runway 4-Left/22-Right is done.
The daily construction of the runways will end on June 15, but it will continue on Saturdays until the end of 2025. The rate of arrivals and departures will climb up to 34 per hour when construction is not taking place.
“Our goal is to relieve the substantial inconvenience to the traveling public from excessive flight delays due to construction, staffing challenges, and recent equipment issues, which magnify as they spread through the National Airspace System,” acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau said in a Tuesday statement.
The order took effect Tuesday, shortly before Memorial Day weekend, one of the biggest travel periods of the year. It came after the FAA held meetings with airline representatives May 14-16, during which they discussed flight delays and congestion.
If the federal agency determines that there’s capacity to accommodate more flights at the New Jersey airport without a “significant” increase in delays, the targeted limit could be altered.
Newark Liberty International Airport has been plagued with constant delays as the airport grapples with staffing challenges, many among air traffic controllers, and outdated technology. Additionally, runway construction has added to the disruption at one of the biggest airports in the New York area.
Airlines have already cut back on the flights going to the Newark airport.
Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said earlier this month that despite the disruptions, including the temporary loss of radar and communications, it is safe to fly in and out of the New Jersey airport.
“I hate delays. I hate cancellations. But I want you to get to where you’re traveling. And if that means slowing down flights into Newark, we slow them down to make sure we can do it safely,” Duffy said while on NBC News’s “Meet the Press” earlier in May.
