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United CEO says only FAA can fix Newark

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FAA limiting flights at New Jersey airport

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Airport has been hit by hundreds of flight cancellations,

diversions since April 28

(Updates with new United CEO email in paragraphs 8, 14)

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, May 7 (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation

Administration said Wednesday it is taking immediate steps to

address ongoing problems that have disrupted hundreds of flights

at Newark Liberty International Airport since April 28.

The FAA said it is increasing air traffic controller

staffing, adding three new, high-bandwidth telecommunications

connections and deploying a temporary backup system to the

Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control that handles Newark

traffic during the switch to a more reliable fiber-optic

network.

It also said it has capped the maximum arrival rate at

Newark for the "foreseeable future" and may temporarily lower it

further to ensure safety based on staffing, weather or equipment

issues.

The canceled flights and diverted traffic at Newark are

driving up operating costs and shaving off revenue for airlines

and prompted outrage and calls for investigations from

lawmakers. Air carriers also face potential long-term

reputational damage as frustrated customers could ditch them for

rivals.

The FAA last year relocated control of the Newark airspace

to Philadelphia to address staffing and congested New York City

area traffic.

Newark has been hit by runway construction, FAA equipment

outages and air traffic control staffing shortages that prompted

urgent calls from lawmakers for investigations and new funding.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said this week

controllers overseeing planes at the busy airport just outside

New York lost contact with aircraft on April 28 for 30 seconds,

an incident that raised serious alarm.

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby told employees by

email on Wednesday that all Newark flights are "absolutely safe"

and pilots follow procedures "to re-establish communication if

controllers lose radio contact to navigate the airplane safely."

Kirby said on Friday the Chicago-based carrier that operates

the most flights from Newark was cutting another 35 daily

flights -- or 10% of its schedule -- after he said 20% of the

FAA controllers for Newark had walked off the job.

On Monday, the controllers' union said the workers did not

walk off the job but took leave under a law providing for

absences for injuries or on-the-job trauma.

United said it has historically flown 440 flights daily out

of Newark, but after cutting flights earlier this spring due to

the runway construction and the latest cuts, it is now down to

293.

Reuters first reported last week that major U.S. airlines

have asked the FAA to extend cuts to minimum flight requirements

at congested New York City-area airports through October 2027,

citing severe air traffic controller staffing shortages.

The FAA is talking to airlines about cutting flights at

Newark to improve performance.

Kirby wants the FAA to reinstate slot limitations at Newark

to better manage traffic. "Other airlines simply backfill our

flying when we reduce our schedule," Kirby wrote. "In reality,

only the FAA can actually fix (Newark)."