On what is expected to be the busiest air travel day of the Thanksgiving holiday period this year, the Federal Aviation Administration is warning it may need to implement a ground stop or ground delay program at Newark Liberty International Airport.
The FAA’s airport status website lists a ground stop/delay program at Newark Airport after 12 p.m. Wednesday as “probable.”
Wednesday is expected to be the busiest days at our nation’s airports.
The Transportation Security Administration said it expects to screen a record 18.3 million people from Tuesday, Nov. 26 though Monday, Dec. 2, and that includes three million people on Wednesday.
AAA said it projects 5.84 million people will fly domestically this holiday season.
A potential ground delay or ground stop program would follow similar actions by the FAA on Monday and Tuesday at Newark Airport due to staffing shortages.
According to United Airlines, the FAA has reduced traffic flows into Newark for 12 of the first 25 days in November impacting 343,000 of its passengers.
“The FAA needs more air traffic controllers. The FAA shortage has been especially acute at its TRACON center for Newark airspace, forcing it to reduce traffic flows to our Newark hub so that FAA can manage air traffic safely,” United said in a statement to NBC New York.
In a statement to NBC New York on Monday, the FAA said, “The FAA is slowing traffic into Newark Liberty International Airport due to staffing issues at the Philadelphia TRACON (PHL).” Some of Newark’s air traffic controllers are based in Philadelphia, explaining why the staffing shortages would impact the airport that is closer to New York City.
The FAA suggests passengers visit https://nasstatus.faa.gov/ for the latest air traffic information. Passengers should also check with their airline for the latest status of their flights into or out of the New York area.
