Transport Secretary Sean Duffy said glitch is occurring as “when information comes in, it overloads some of our lines and the system is down.”
Newar Liberty International Airport in New Jersey experienced another air traffic equipment outage on May 11, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a temporary ground stop for all flights detained at the airport.
Although specific details of the suspension are not explained in the recommendation, the FAA has confirmed the incidents from the Epoch era.
“Philadelphia Tracon Area C had a telecommunications issue leading aircraft in and out of the airspace of Newar Liberty International Airport,” a FAA spokesman wrote in a statement. “The FAA temporarily slowed down aircraft both inside and outside the airport, ensuring redundancy works as designed. Operations have returned to normal.”
According to the FAA, Friday’s incident was a telecommunications halt that affected both communications and radar displays at the facility.
A similar incident occurred on a busy afternoon on April 28th, with 30 seconds of communication between the plane and the Control Tower. The incident led to five air traffic controllers taking trauma leave from the control facility. Additionally, more than 1,000 flights have been cancelled, and the FAA has announced that it will temporarily slow entry and exit from busy Northeast airports.
In an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Transport Secretary Sean Duffy said the equipment at the facility is outdated and the “glitch” in the software will be fixed soon.
“We need to fix this because what we see in Newark happens elsewhere around the country,” Duffy said, describing the issue as an ongoing communications issue.
“When we get information, it’s overloading some of our lines and the system is down,” he said. “Specifically, in Newark, we believe we will get it up and run, and in a short order, we will be able to fix that glitch.
“And we feel a little more comfortable with our main lines entering data on the radar, and our redundant lines work just as well.”
Duffy said he didn’t say how long he would expect delays and cancellations at Newark Airport, but said the “reduced capacity” would continue at least in the “next few weeks.”
“I will convene a meeting of all the airlines serving Newark and ask them to agree on how they will reduce capacity.
Duffy said the transportation department is working on building a new line that runs directly from Newark to the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control, and hopes to complete it by the end of summer.
He also provided prepaid bonuses to encourage certain air traffic controllers to stay.
The veteran air traffic controller “is the best controller in the airspace. Give me a bonus,” Duffy said. “I will give them a 20% advance bonus to stay at work. Don’t retire. Keep serving your country.”
Overhaul of air traffic control
On May 8th, Duffy announced plans for an overhaul and upgrade of the American air traffic control system and technology.
These efforts include upgrading telecommunication lines to fiber optics, rebuilding several air traffic control towers and terminal radar approach controls, and implementing new radios in the towers to “communication with air traffic controllers and planes.”
“We’re rebuilding some centres, not all of them, but some centres that need to be rebuilt,” Duffy said at a press conference.
The Transport Secretary said the plan also includes new ground radar sensors on the airport runway.
“Our air traffic controllers in the tower are looking through binoculars to see the plane,” Duffy said. “If it’s cloudy or rainy, it can be very challenging if the weather is bad. I want to have all the tools so that I can see where the airport aircraft are on the terminal screen.”
The transportation sector will also introduce new flight management systems to improve airspace efficiency, allowing airlines to improve flights, and new hardware, software and equipment for controllers to overhaul and upgrade American air traffic control.
Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
