FAA Slashes Flights at Newark to Ease Delays

Agency has failed Americans, airline CEOs charge

May 22, 2025

• Flight arrivals at Newark capped at 28 per hour through mid-June, rising to 34 per hour afterward under FAA’s emergency order.

• The move follows radar outages, severe congestion, and staffing shortages that crippled operations in recent weeks.

• United, Spirit among airlines scaling back flights as infrastructure upgrades and air traffic hiring ramp up.

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced an immediate cap on hourly flight arrivals at Newark Liberty International Airport in a bid to reduce soaring delays and cancellations that have plagued one of the nations busiest hubs in recent weeks.

The new limitsoutlined in an interim order released Tuesdayrestrict arrivals to 28 per hour through June 15 while runway construction is underway. After that, the cap will be raised to 34 landings per hour through October 25. On Saturdays, the 28-per-hour rule will remain in place for the rest of the year. Including departures, the total hourly flight activity will be capped at 56 movements during peak periods, down significantly from the 70+ flights per hour Newark previously handled.

Our goal is to relieve the substantial inconvenience to the traveling public from excessive flight delays, said Chris Rocheleau, FAAs acting administrator.

Failing Americans

The CEOs of five major airlines have charged that the FAA’s antiquated system is “failing Americans” and, in an open letter, called for urgent action to upgrade infrastructure and boost staffing.

They said the FAAs technology is wildly out of date.

Aviation remains the safest mode of transportation in the U.S., but for it to remain so, serious upgrades need to happen now, said the letter, citing a 2023independent reviewthat raised safety concerns.

The executives called for urgent action as the busy summer travel season begins with the Memorial Day holiday this weekend

Chaos in the skies

The move follows a string of technology outages and persistent staffing shortages that crippled air traffic in the Northeast corridor. Most notably, a radio and radar blackout on April 28 at a Philadelphia facility temporarily left air traffic controllers unable to communicate with or track planes flying to and from Newark for nearly 90 seconds. A similar event occurred earlier this month, raising alarm among regulators and airlines alike.

In response, the FAA met with carriers for three days of emergency talks last week, ultimately deciding that voluntary cuts offered by airlines were insufficient to stabilize the system.

The flight cap takes effect immediately and will remain until at least October 25.

Airlines cut schedules

Leading carriers have begun scaling back their Newark operations in response to the disruptions and new FAA mandates:

• United Airlines, Newarks largest operator, cut 35 daily round trips, reducing its summer schedule to 370 daily flights, down 7% from last year. During ongoing runway upgrades, its currently flying just 290 daily flights.

Reducing the number of flights scheduled at Newark will help ensure that we can safely and reliably operate the flights that remain, United said.

• Spirit Airlines, the airports second-largest carrier, said it will reduce its Newark flights by 16% through late October, extending prior cuts that began in April.

The FAA said it is also encouraging foreign airlines at Newark to participate in voluntary reductions and will offer guidance as needed.

Infrastructure and staffing boosts ahead

To prevent future system failures, the FAA is implementing long-overdue infrastructure upgrades, including replacing outdated copper wire systems with modern fiber-optic networks. The agency also announced plans to increase staffing levels at air traffic control centers that manage the congested New York airspace.

Public feedback on the interim order is being accepted until May 28, but the FAA emphasized that the restrictions are effective immediately and may be revised depending on traffic flow and operational improvements.

As one of the primary gateways to New York City and a major international hub, Newarks stability is critical to the broader U.S. aviation network. With air travel rebounding, officials are racing to modernize the system and protect it from cascading disruptions.

Were acting now to ensure a more predictable and safer experience for travelers, said Rocheleau. But this is only the beginning of long-term changes needed across the system.

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