The Trump administration announced the formation of an emergency task force on Monday to tackle recent telecommunications disruptions at Newark Liberty International Airport. The new task force includes technical experts from Verizon, L3Harris, and the Federal Aviation Administration and is focused on establishing more robust communication systems between New York and Philadelphia to prevent future outages.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy explained that the objective is to implement three independent telecommunications connections between the two cities. This redundancy would ensure continued communication even if one line fails. While Duffy did not specify a deadline, he noted that he had spoken with Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg, who assured him that the company is moving swiftly to resolve the issue.
The formation of this task force follows a string of alarming outages at Newark. On April 28 and May 9, air traffic controllers experienced 90-second lapses in communication, during which they were unable to see or speak with aircraft. These incidents led to hundreds of flight delays, affecting thousands of travelers. The repeated failures have taken a toll on air traffic controllers, some of whom have taken leave to cope with the resulting stress, according to FAA reports.
A third outage occurred on Sunday. Thanks to a recently applied software patch, the backup system maintained functionality, preventing a total communication blackout. However, air traffic controllers remained cautious and imposed a 45-minute ground stop at the airport to maintain safety.
FAA Acting Administrator Chris Rocheleau stated that the task force includes the right mix of technical expertise and will operate with daily oversight and transparency. L3Harris, a key FAA contractor, is tasked with maintaining aviation infrastructure, while Verizon is responsible for the telecommunication lines linked to the Philadelphia facility that supports Newark operations.
This initiative comes shortly after the Department of Transportation unveiled a proposal to invest tens of billions of dollars into modernizing the nation’s air traffic control system. Duffy confirmed he is waiting on congressional approval to move forward with the plan.
In addition, Duffy announced plans to host a meeting on Wednesday with all airlines operating from Newark to discuss reducing flight delays. He emphasized the importance of manageable scheduling to prevent excessive wait times, stating that families should not have to wait hours for flights that are ultimately canceled or delayed.
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