United Airlines says its rocky relationship with Newark Liberty International Airport is finally on the mend, a change the carrier argues will translate into a better experience for the millions of passengers who funnel through the New York–area hub each year.
What Went Wrong at Newark Liberty
For most of this year, delays and cancellations at Newark reached levels that even the airline considered unacceptable. According to reporting by CNN, the Federal Aviation Administration had only 24 certified professional air-traffic controllers assigned to the radar facility responsible for Newark traffic, even though the staffing target was 38. The situation worsened on April 28 when controllers briefly lost both radio contact and radar visibility—outages that lasted 30 seconds and 90 seconds, respectively. Five controllers then took 45-day trauma leave, and two additional equipment failures followed in the next two weeks, further thinning the workforce. With congestion spiraling, the FAA stepped in during May, cutting the number of operations allowed to land or depart by about 25 percent to 68 per hour. Limits of 72 flights per hour will remain in place through next summer, United said.
United’s “Operational Turnaround”
Chief Executive Officer Scott Kirby told reporters during an airport event that the airline has tackled the bottlenecks head-on. “Newark is operating better than ever,” Kirby said at the airport event. Although the FAA cap forced the carrier to schedule fewer flights, United swapped smaller jets for larger mainline aircraft, maintaining— and even increasing— total seat capacity. Those changes helped six million passengers arrive or depart Newark on time this summer, the airline’s best seasonal performance on record, according to the CNN report. The carrier also credited the end of weekday runway construction on June 2 and the installation of two new fiber-optic cables linking the radar center with communication equipment in New York for boosting reliability.
More Seats, Fewer Flights: How Travelers Benefit
1. Larger aircraft: By up-gauging planes on existing departures, United kept capacity intact despite flying fewer frequencies.
2. Slot discipline: With hourly operations capped, runway snarls have eased, reducing the domino effect of ground delays.
3. Infrastructure fixes: New cabling and a completed runway pave the way for steadier traffic flow.
New Routes on the Horizon
United plans to add service from Newark to six international cities and five domestic destinations. Exact launch dates and flight numbers were not disclosed in the announcement, but the airline said it will also hire 2,500 additional Newark-based employees to support the expansion.
Regulators’ Role and Ongoing Concerns
Kirby acknowledged that tighter FAA oversight was crucial. “When you have more flights than the FAA can handle at an airport, it leads to delays,” he told CNN, as Kirby told CNN. The agency’s decision to impose slot controls—something United says it has requested “for my entire career,” according to Kirby—helped create the breathing room needed for improvements. Yet questions linger about how the carrier and the FAA will juggle capacity once extra flights debut. While larger planes move more people per slot, ramping frequencies again could squeeze the system if controller staffing lags or technology upgrades stall.
Tips for Travelers Heading Through Newark Liberty
- Book larger jets when possible. Wide-body and high-density narrow-body aircraft are less likely to be rescheduled because they carry more passengers per slot.
- Target mid-morning departures. Early-afternoon air traffic staffing gaps caused many of the spring cancellations; midday windows now run more smoothly but still show lighter traffic than peak evenings.
- Monitor FAA advisories. The 72-flight-per-hour cap lasts through next summer, so keep an eye on updates if you book far in advance.
- Consider lounge access. Construction may be finished, but crowds will grow as United adds new routes; lounge passes can soften any unexpected wait.
Is Newark as reliable as JFK or LaGuardia now?
United argues it is on “equal footing,” but travelers should still expect occasional weather or staffing disruptions common to the congested New York airspace.
Will flight caps raise fares?
Kirby suggested earlier caps briefly made Newark “one of the cheapest” summer gateways. As demand rebounds and capacity stays limited, prices could climb; comparison-shopping remains wise.
How many new workers is United hiring?
The carrier plans to add 2,500 Newark-based employees across operations, customer service and maintenance.
What if I’m connecting through Newark?
Schedule longer layovers than normal until the controller staffing reaches the target of 38 certified professionals. Missed connections are down but not eliminated.
The Takeaway for Jet-Setters
Travelers who wrote off Newark during this spring’s meltdown may want to give the airport a second look. With upgraded infrastructure, larger planes, and a hard cap on movements, United insists that delays have subsided and that next summer should be even more reliable—assuming the FAA meets its staffing goals and new routes are introduced gradually enough to avoid another traffic jam. Whether you’re eyeing a nonstop to Europe or simply hopping down the Eastern Seaboard, the biggest New Jersey gateway might be worth slotting back into your flight-search filters. Just keep your notifications on and a backup plan handy; the skies over New York are clearer, but they’re never completely free of turbulence.
