Air traffic controllers responsible for guiding planes into Newark Liberty International Airport experienced a communications outage again early Friday morning.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the radar system at a key facility in Philadelphia — which manages air traffic in and out of Newark — went dark at 3:55 a.m. for approximately 90 seconds.
The incident mirrors a similar radar outage that occurred on April 28 and has since led to significant disruptions at the busy New Jersey airport.
Following the initial outage, the FAA was forced to slow down air traffic at Newark to ensure flight safety. That decision triggered widespread delays and cancellations, compounded by several air traffic controllers taking trauma leave in the aftermath. As of Friday morning, it’s unclear whether this second outage will prompt additional staff absences.
Flight delays and cancellations surged again following the latest radar loss. According to data from FlightAware, 57 departing flights out of Newark were canceled by mid-morning, up from 40 earlier in the day, making it the highest number of cancellations at any U.S. airport.
Additionally, 60 incoming flights were canceled, and nearly 300 delays were reported, creating ripple effects across the national air