The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced an extension of the current order limiting flight operations at Newark Liberty International Airport. The order, which was set to expire on December 31, 2025, will now remain in effect until October 24, 2026.
Under the revised order, the hourly limit for arrivals and departures will increase from 68 to 72 operations. This change follows feedback from both the airport operator and airlines who supported extending the limits to help address congestion issues at Newark.
"This action is effective October 26, 2025," stated the FAA. The agency emphasized that maintaining these reduced rates aims to ensure safety while reducing flight delays caused by staffing and equipment challenges.
Bryan Bedford, Administrator
| U.S. Federal Aviation Administration
Construction-related weekend closures of Runway 4L-22R have also resumed this month and are expected to continue through the end of the year.
The FAA noted it had published a notice on August 12, 2025, inviting comments on its proposal to extend the operational limits. Carriers agreed with both the extension and raising hourly operations to no more than 36 arrivals and departures each hour.
In addition to these operational changes, several measures have been implemented to improve efficiency at Newark:
- A new fiber optic communications network between New York and Philadelphia TRACON has been completed. This upgrade provides two separate communication paths for improved resiliency.
- A temporary satellite backup system was deployed at Philadelphia TRACON during its transition to a more reliable fiber optic network.
- The establishment of a STARS hub at Philadelphia TRACON reduces dependency on telecommunications from New York’s STARS hub.
- Controller staffing has increased in Philadelphia TRACON Area C, which manages traffic for Newark. The area currently employs 22 fully certified controllers and five supervisors, with an additional pipeline of personnel in training.
For updates about operations at Newark Liberty International Airport or other airports nationwide, visit www.fly.faa.gov.
