Second Radar Outage at Newark Disrupts Flights

Newark Liberty International Airport suffered its second radar and communications blackout in less than two weeks, with the latest outage at about 3:55 a.m. lasting roughly 90 seconds and causing hundreds of flight delays and cancellations. The event was attributed to outdated telecommunications infrastructure at the Philadelphia TRACON facility, which still uses copper wiring and floppy disks. During the blackout, air traffic controllers issued precautionary instructions to pilots, and some controllers went on medical leave due to stress. Chronic staffing shortages, runway construction, and record passenger volumes have compounded disruptions at Newark. The FAA is urgently upgrading to fiber-optic lines, adding new data connections, and deploying a backup system, while the Department of Transportation has announced a multi-billion-dollar modernization plan. Industry experts and airline executives are urging accelerated investment and reform to prevent similar failures at other major airports.