U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that the number of flights at Newark Liberty International Airport might be reduced due to staffing shortages within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). During a hearing, Duffy stated that despite graduating 2,000 new air traffic controllers this year, the chronic shortage will take years to resolve. He attributed the issue to the Biden administration, citing infrastructure failures and a recent 90-second blackout that caused significant delays. The incident involved a failure in copper wiring transmitting radar data from New York to Philadelphia. While Duffy insists no planes were in danger, bipartisan lawmakers expressed concerns over potential risks from budget cuts. Newark currently has only 22 certified controllers instead of the required 38, leading to discussions about reducing flights to manage delays. United Airlines has already voluntarily cut 35 daily flights. Travel expert Clint Henderson supports this approach, noting the airport’s reduced capacity.
— new from NBC News
