Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey is entering another day of major flight delays due to an ongoing shortage of air traffic controllers.
The 14th busiest airport in the U.S., a number based on the latest Department of Transportation data, said a Federal Aviation Administration equipment outage and “construction” have also contributed to the significant delays that began last week.
It’s a major hub for United Airlines, which said it was forced to cut 10% of its scheduled flights from the airport over the weekend due to the delays.
According to FlightAware data, the total number of arrivals and departures has dipped below 900 for the first time in recent years.
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United CEO Scott Kirby claimed more than 20% of Newark's traffic controllers "walked off the job," further crippling an already "chronically understaffed" facility.
"It’s now clear — and the FAA tells us — that Newark airport cannot handle the number of planes that are scheduled to operate there in the weeks and months ahead," Kirby said in a letter to customers.
United flies to 76 U.S. cities and 81 international destinations out of Newark.
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The shortage of air traffic controllers is something the Trump administration has vowed to address.
Last week, the FAA announced plans to “supercharge” its hiring of the “best and brightest” candidates to fill at least 2,000 air traffic controller positions this year.
One way the FAA said it will expedite the hiring process is by shaving an 8-step hiring process down to five steps for the positions.
As for the ongoing issues at Newark, the FAA is investigating.
