Almost two weeks of chaos at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) has revealed a “broken system,” United Airlines (UAL) CEO Scott Kirby said in a Fox News op-ed.
The CEO called out the Federal Aviation Administration for delays, technology outages, cancellations, and what he sees as a failure to address long-standing cracks in the nation’s air traffic control system.
There are three factors largely behind the problems at Newark Airport: staffing issues with its air traffic controllers, equipment failures linked to outdated technology, and the closure of a runway in need of repairs. United operates a major hub at Newark and has been hit particularly hard — reportedly canceling 35 round-trips a day earlier this week.
The airline accounts for approximately 63% of the airport’s passenger traffic.
Kirby’s frustration largely boils down to one thing: the FAA’s 2016 decision to remove slot controls at Newark — the scheduling mechanism that limits how many flights can take off or land each hour. He wrote that “EWR is the only large airport in the world that no longer has this basic common-sense rule.”
“The good news is that we are on the verge of solving this persistent customer delay problem at EWR,” Kirby wrote. “All that’s left is the FAA using the authority — that only they have — to designate EWR as a Level 3 airport.”
While he emphasized “neither the FAA nor United will ever compromise on safety,” Kirby made clear that he thinks there needs to be a solution that addresses the root of the airports issues. And fast.
Top lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have called for federal intervention at the airport. Kirby wrote that President Donald Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy have introduced “a plan to fund and execute a long-term modernization of our antiquated system.” Kirby said that is a “huge step forward” but “it will also take time.”
“There are no short-cuts to overhaul a technology system this vast, complex and critical to our economic and national security,” he said. “Immediately returning Newark to a Level 3 slot-controlled airport is the most effective way to provide relief to air traffic controllers and deliver a better experience for customers.”
Kirby called the airport “a crown jewel of the region” but said more flights pass through it than the FAA can handle.
Compared with when slots were still in place, Kirby said that Newark now sees: 18% more customer cancellations, 17% more delayed arrivals, and 43% more passengers delayed an hour or more.
“It was a mistake to de-slot the airport,” he said. “Every single data point says so.”
Despite these operational hurdles, The Financial Times reported that United’s communication and strategic adjustments have helped maintain investor confidence, with the company’s stock showing resilience amid the disruptions.
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