New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy sent a letter to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy regarding recent flight delays and cancellations that have impacted thousands of Newark Liberty International Airport travelers due to outdated technology infrastructure and air traffic controller staffing issues.
In his letter, the governor praised Secretary Duffy for his efforts to supercharge the hiring of air traffic controllers nationwide and reverse the decades of staffing decline at the Federal Aviation Administration.
“Decades of underinvestment in the maintenance of critical air traffic control infrastructure, delays in upgrading to modern 21st century air traffic control technology, and inadequate air traffic control staffing have resulted in a frail system nationwide,” Murphy wrote. “The FAA has stated that American airspace is short 3,000 air traffic controllers and I appreciate your efforts to retain and hire additional controllers. As the FAA works to address the yearslong shortfalls, I urge you to prioritize the region, the busiest airspace in the nation, by immediately addressing Philadelphia TRACON Area C staffing levels and developing a plan to address chronic staffing shortages at New York TRACON.
“As you work with Congress to fund additional investments in air traffic management systems, the New Jersey-New York region should be prioritized for technology and facility upgrades to help the more than 144 million passengers coming through Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) operated airports annually,” Murphy added. “We expect millions of additional passengers next year as we prepare to host the World Cup Finals and must avoid additional disruptions or strains on the system.”
