U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced the completion of a significant project at Newark Liberty Airport, marking progress in the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) efforts to enhance operations and security. The FAA has successfully transitioned to a new fiber optic communications network between New York and the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON), which manages aircraft traffic for Newark.
The new system features two separate communication paths, enhancing resiliency by ensuring continued operation if one path is disrupted. The fiber installation was completed in June, followed by a month of testing.
"This marks a critical milestone in our unprecedented effort to make flying safer and more efficient," said Secretary Duffy. He criticized the previous administration for ignoring issues at Newark and emphasized his commitment to improving air traffic control systems.
Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau noted that the upgrade will help reduce delays and cancellations, adding that further initiatives are underway to strengthen Newark's communications network.
In May, Secretary Duffy outlined several FAA workstreams aimed at improving reliability at Newark Liberty Airport. These include establishing a STARS hub at Philadelphia TRACON to enhance resiliency by using local radar data, with completion expected by summer's end. Additionally, controller staffing is being increased, with 22 fully certified controllers and five supervisors currently on staff and 25 more in training.
A temporary satellite system remains deployed at Philadelphia TRACON for redundancy during network upgrades. Meanwhile, the FAA has limited Newark's arrival and departure rate through October 25, 2025, with further restrictions during infrastructure installations from September 1 through December 31, 2025. An out-of-service airport lighting system may cause delays when visibility is low until mid-August.
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