Newark Airport Faces Repeated Radar Blackouts

Newark Airport's air traffic control system faced a second radar outage, affecting flights and causing safety measures. The outage, occurring 90 seconds last Friday, follows a similar incident on April 28. The FAA plans to install new fiber optic data lines to prevent future disruptions.

The air traffic controls at Newark Airport have been plagued by a recurring issue, as their radar system went down for the second time in two weeks, this past Friday morning. The blackout persisted for a concerning 90 seconds at 3:55 am, reminiscent of an earlier occurrence on April 28.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) responded to the initial outage by slowing down traffic to mitigate safety risks, resulting in a spate of flight cancellations and delays. As the problem resurfaced, passengers and airlines face potential uncertainty.

To address the ongoing technical fault, the FAA has announced it is actively installing new fiber optic data lines, aiming to secure uninterrupted radar signals between facilities in Philadelphia and New York.

(With inputs from agencies.)