Newark Airport’s Radar Woes Aren’t Over, What You Need to Know Now

Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) has been dealing with another technical hiccup. Just days after flight delays and cancellations caused by air traffic and staffing problems, a new radar issue came up early Friday morning.

An FAA spokesperson shared that a short-lived communication and radar problem occurred at Philadelphia TRACON Area C, which manages flights going in and out of Newark’s airspace. The glitch happened around 3:55 a.m. on May 9 and lasted for about a minute and a half.

Despite the issue, some commercial and cargo planes were able to land safely between 3:07 and 4:30 a.m. Eastern time, based on flight tracking data. There haven’t been any reports of safety concerns or technical faults during that time.

Still, the repeated disruptions have made some travelers uneasy. One person on Reddit called the situation “terrifying,” echoing concerns about recent problems at the airport.

This radar trouble comes not long after the FAA admitted they’d be slowing down the flow of planes in and out of Newark to reduce crowding and avoid more issues. The Department of Transportation also plans to boost hiring for air traffic roles and upgrade older equipment used in flight control systems.

The FAA says it’s working quickly to improve reliability at the airport. That includes speeding up technology improvements and adding more trained staff to manage air traffic safely.

For those nervous about flying through Newark, some airlines are offering flexible travel options. United Airlines, for example, is allowing customers scheduled to travel between May 6 and May 23, 2025, to change their flights or rebook to nearby airports like LaGuardia or Philadelphia without paying a fee.

JetBlue has also issued a waiver, letting travelers rebook through May 14 or switch to fly through JFK instead.

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