FAA extends Newark flight cuts to 2026 amid controller shortage, congestion issues

The Federal Aviation Administration said on Thursday it will extend significant flight cuts at Newark, one of the three main airports serving the New York City area, through late October 2026 as it continues to face an air traffic controller shortage and congestion issues.In May, the FAA ordered flight cuts at New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport through the end of 2025 following a series of major disruptions at the United Airlines hub that snarled hundreds of flights and sparked alarm about the aging U.S. air traffic control system.

The order cites staffing shortages and limits flights to 72 per hour, up from 68 earlier this year but still down from the 80 or more before May. Since the cuts, the airport has reported significantly fewer delays.

United said “the reduced operations, along with continued focus on technology upgrades and ATC staffing increases, are critical milestones toward Newark’s long-term operational certainty.”In July, the FAA extended cuts to minimum flight requirements at New York’s congested John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia airports through October 2026.

The FAA has a shortage of about 3,000 air traffic controllers compared with desired staffing levels.

A series of near-miss incidents has raised safety concerns in recent years and prompted Congress to approve $12.5 billion to overhaul the system, while the persistent staffing shortage has delayed flights and forced controllers at many facilities to work mandatory overtime and six-day weeks.