Newark Air Traffic Controllers Lost Contact With Planes, Triggering Widespread Flight Delays and Cancellations

Transportation secretary said the main communication line failed and the backup system didn’t engage, resulting in 30-second loss of contact with air traffic.

United Airlines planes land and prepare to take off at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, N.J., on Jan. 27, 2025. Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters

Air traffic controllers overseeing Newark Liberty International Airport lost contact with planes for 30 seconds last week, triggering widespread flight delays and cancellations as staffing shortages and outdated technology strained systems, according to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

“The primary communication line went down, the backup line didn’t fire, and so for 30 seconds we lost contact with air traffic, Duffy told Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle,” on Monday. “Now, were planes going to crash? No. They have communication devices. ... But it’s a sign that we have a frail system in place, and it has to be fixed.”