WASHINGTON, Sept 25 (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation

Administration said on Thursday it will extend significant

flight cuts at Newark, one of the three main airports serving

the New York City area, through late October 2026 as it

continues to face an air traffic controller shortage and

congestion issues.

In May, the FAA ordered flight cuts at New Jersey's Newark

Liberty International Airport through the end of 2025 following

a series of major disruptions at the United Airlines hub

that snarled hundreds of flights and sparked alarm about the

aging U.S. air traffic control system.

The order cites staffing shortages and limits flights to 72

per hour, up from 68 earlier this year but still down from the

80 or more before May. Since the cuts, the airport has reported

significantly fewer delays.

United said "the reduced operations, along with continued

focus on technology upgrades and ATC staffing increases, are

critical milestones toward Newark's long-term operational

certainty."

In July, the FAA extended cuts to minimum flight

requirements at New York's congested John F. Kennedy and

LaGuardia airports through October 2026.

The FAA has a shortage of about 3,000 air traffic controllers

compared with desired staffing levels.

A series of near-miss incidents has raised safety concerns

in recent years and prompted Congress to approve $12.5 billion

to overhaul the system, while the persistent staffing shortage

has delayed flights and forced controllers at many facilities to

work mandatory overtime and six-day weeks.