NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Flight delays and cancellations endured at Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport Monday, with Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer calling for an investigation into the “chaos” sparked by an air site visitors controller scarcity and thick cloud cowl.

Schumer, a Democrat from New York, stated he desires an inspector basic’s investigation into the delays and cancellations to forestall them from getting worse or spreading. New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy known as the delays “completely and utterly unacceptable” in a submit on X, and stated Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is “committed” to hiring extra air site visitors controllers.

The delays on the busy airport exterior New York Metropolis made headlines over the weekend as United Airways stated it was slicing 35 every day flights from its schedule.

As of Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration attributed arriving flight delays of practically 4 hours to a mix of staffing and cloud cowl.

Right here’s a more in-depth have a look at what to know in regards to the delays.

What’s behind the delays at Newark?

The airport confronted disruptions final week as effectively.

United CEO Scott Kirby stated in a letter to prospects over the weekend that the know-how used to handle planes on the New Jersey airport failed greater than as soon as in latest days.

The flight delays, cancellations and diversions that the tools issues brought on have been compounded when greater than one-fifth of Newark’s site visitors controllers “walked off the job,” he stated.

Faulting the Federal Aviation Administration’s alleged failure to handle “long-simmering” challenges associated to the air-traffic management system, United Airways minimize 35 every day flights from its Newark schedule beginning Saturday.

Messages looking for remark have been left with the air site visitors controllers labor union and the federal Transportation Division, which oversees the FAA.

What’s the broader difficulty with air site visitors management?

The Trump administration has stated an “obsolete” air site visitors management system must be mounted.

The administration says it’s been attempting to “supercharge” the air site visitors controller workforce and tackle the nation’s scarcity of controllers. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy final week introduced a program to recruit new controllers and provides present ones incentives to not retire.

The Nationwide Air Visitors Controllers Affiliation, a employees’ union, stated on the time that these strikes might assist tackle staffing shortages, however it additionally stated the system is “ long overdue for technology and infrastructure upgrades.”

Uncertainty at play?

United’s determination to pare again its flight schedule in Newark comes at an already unsure interval for U.S. airways. Potential prospects throughout the trade are reconsidering whether or not to fly for work or for trip given all of the unknowns about what President Donald Trump’s commerce struggle will do to the economic system.

Uncertainty is so excessive that United just lately made the weird transfer of providing two separate forecasts for the way it might carry out financially this yr: one if there have been a recession and one if not.

United flies to 76 U.S. cities and 81 worldwide locations from Newark.

Initially Printed: Could 5, 2025 at 3:39 PM EDT