Radar screens for air traffic controllers went dark once again at Newark Liberty International Airport.
This outage happened at 3:55 a.m. Friday morning.
Audio footage shows air traffic controllers telling a FedEx plane that their radar screens went dark. The air traffic controllers also asked the pilots to tell the company to be adamant that the problems get resolved.
“FedEx 1989, I’m going to hand you off here, our scopes just went black again,” one controller said, according to a released audio recording. “If you care about this, contact your airline and try to get some pressure for them to fix this stuff.”
Another transmission shows a controller telling a private jet landing that they experienced a brief outage and to remain flying at or above 3,000 feet as a precautionary measure in case the controllers could not get in touch during the aircraft’s descent.
On Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration announced another ground stop at the airport, with the average delay being four hours.
This outage follows a similar blackout last week when controllers in Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control, which coordinates planes arriving at Newark, “temporarily lost radar and communications with the aircraft under their control, unable to see, hear, or talk to them” for 60 to 90 seconds, according to a CNN report.
Following the incident, at least five air traffic controllers went on government-mandated medical leave due to the traumatic experience. The controllers are entitled to at least 45 days off the job, and they must be evaluated by a doctor before they can return to work.
The facility where Philadelphia and Newark air traffic controllers work is already experiencing a staffing shortage. One runway at Newark is also closed for construction.
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Hundreds of flights in and out of Newark have been delayed or canceled over the past two weeks as a result.
On Thursday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a new “state-of-the-art” air traffic control system to replace the “antiquated” system.
