Newark flights halted due to severe communication failures

In the United States, Newark Liberty International Airport faced significant disruptions recently due to a loss of air traffic control communications. On August 28, 2025, a temporary ground stop was imposed after air traffic controllers lost their radio frequencies. This incident lasted about an hour, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET, resulting in delays averaging over two hours for incoming flights. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) responded by reducing the airport's flight capacity, cutting incoming flights to 28 per hour from a typical range of 40-42 flights. This reduction had already been made following prior incidents of technical failures that had further limited the airport's operational capabilities. The FAA reported that this recent communication disruption was a continuation of a troubling trend of outages affecting the Philadelphia air traffic control center, the facility responsible for managing Newark's airspace. Just the day before, controllers experienced a similar outage where technical failures led to call signs cutting out and other communication issues, highlighting a concerning series of problems at the airport. The FAA has been investigating these incidents, which have prompted some controllers to take medical leave following traumatic experiences from the outages. Additionally, the airline industry has recently faced several issues, particularly with technology outages that have forced various airlines to halt thousands of flights, reflecting ongoing vulnerabilities in the aviation system. As travel continues to rebound and demand increases, the stability of air traffic control communications and airline systems is under scrutiny, emphasizing the need for significant upgrades in technology and infrastructure.