US has capped daily flights at Newark Liberty International Airport to thirteen hundred after the FAA issued an emergency order to relieve pressure from ongoing construction, air traffic control failures, and staff shortages that have overwhelmed airlines like United, JetBlue, and American, a new report confirms. The decision comes after weeks of operational strain at the airport, where runway construction, air traffic control outages, and short staffing have led to cascading delays across dozens of routes. Newark, one of the country’s busiest and most congested hubs, has struggled to keep pace with demand, particularly with the summer travel season ramping up. The FAA’s move is meant to bring immediate relief—not just to passengers, but also to overworked crews and ground operations—while longer-term fixes remain in progress. For now, the cap offers a temporary reset at a time when the system badly needs breathing room.

The FAA’s order, which took effect on Tuesday, May 20, aims to cut down on congestion by limiting hourly flights to 28 arrivals and 28 departures while crews work to repair Runway 4L/22R. These daily construction activities are expected to continue through June 15. After that, work will be scaled back to Saturdays only, though the flight restrictions will largely stay in place through the end of the year. Once the active construction phase ends, the hourly cap will bump slightly to 34 arrivals and departures, but the agency plans to reassess those limits by late October.

This isn’t just a routine adjustment — it’s a response to weeks of serious operational setbacks. Air traffic control systems at Newark reportedly failed more than once in recent months, causing screens to go dark and flight schedules to spiral into chaos. The airport’s main airline, United, has voiced concern, and travelers have been feeling the effects with longer delays and missed connections.

Before issuing the order, the FAA met with key airlines to outline the plan — including United, which has a dominant presence at the airport. Officials made it clear the limits aren’t set in stone. If conditions improve or worsen, the numbers could shift accordingly.

Not Just a Flight Cap — A Larger Fix

Limiting flights is only one piece of a broader effort to get Newark’s operations back on steady ground. The FAA has also been working behind the scenes to upgrade its technology and staffing. In response to earlier system outages, the agency has added high-speed fiber-optic communication lines between air traffic centers in New York and backup facilities in Philadelphia. These new connections replace older copper wiring and offer a much more reliable and faster data flow.

A temporary backup system has also been deployed as a fail-safe during this transition, and the FAA has upgraded communication infrastructure between New York and other key telecom hubs to ensure more resilience during peak times.

Controller staffing is also getting a boost. The FAA says it has a strong pipeline of new air traffic controllers headed to Newark and nearby facilities, including Philadelphia TRACON, which helps manage the flow of planes in and out of the area. New training classes are expected to be fully booked through at least mid-2026.

Newark’s Pressure Cooker Environment

Even before these recent issues, Newark had a reputation for running close to the edge of its capacity. The FAA’s interim order makes clear that the airport has been consistently operating above what its systems and staff can safely handle. Construction and staffing shortages only add to the pressure, and the ripple effects stretch far beyond New Jersey — delays at Newark often impact flight schedules across the entire East Coast.

What makes this particularly frustrating for passengers is the unpredictability. A delayed flight out of Newark can cascade into missed connections across multiple cities. By capping the number of scheduled flights, the FAA hopes to restore some reliability for travelers — even if that means fewer flights in the short term.

A Look at Newark’s Airline Landscape

With over 48 million passengers in 2024 alone and more than 400,000 aircraft movements, Newark Liberty has earned its spot as one of the top 15 busiest airports in the United States. Among airports in the New York metro region, it ranks just behind JFK in terms of overall traffic.

And it’s not just United that flies out of Newark. More than 30 different airlines operate from the airport, offering an extensive range of domestic and international destinations. Some of the key players include American Airlines, JetBlue, Delta, Alaska Airlines, and Allegiant on the domestic front, along with international carriers like British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Air India, and Ethiopian Airlines. You’ll also find newer or budget carriers such as Breeze Airways, Frontier, Frenchbee, and La Compagnie. No matter if your destination is domestic or international, Newark stands as a key launch point for countless journeys.

What This Means for Summer Travel

For travelers heading through Newark this summer, the cap may actually lead to a smoother experience. While it may sound counterintuitive, fewer scheduled flights can mean fewer delays, shorter lines, and more on-time departures — especially during peak hours. The FAA’s hope is that by giving the airport more breathing room, passengers will benefit from a more predictable journey.

Still, Saturdays will remain a bit tricky. That’s when ongoing runway work will continue into the end of the year, so travelers should expect some slowdowns on those days. As always, checking your flight status ahead of time and arriving early remains the best way to stay ahead of any disruptions.

Looking Ahead

The FAA’s cap is temporary, but it’s a sign of a bigger shift in how U.S. airports may be managed moving forward. As air travel continues to grow, so too will the need for smarter scheduling, better infrastructure, and more robust staffing.

For now, Newark is in the spotlight — and this new order may be just what’s needed to keep the chaos in check, at least through the busy summer travel season.

The post US Caps Newark Airport at Thirteen Hundred Flights Per Day as FAA Issues Interim Order Impacting United, JetBlue, American and More Amid Ongoing Travel Struggles: New Report appeared first on Travel And Tour World.