Do you have to fly through Newark Airport? This is what you need to know.

Newark Liberty International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the country, has been struggle with great delays and cancellations in the midst of technological disruptionsStaffing deficits and a runway closure.

Communication problems, including a short radar failure in the air traffic control facility on Friday and A malfunction last monthLet travelers wonder how safe it is to fly to Newark. There were also worries after two high -profile commercial aeroplane crashes In which US Airlines was involved earlier this year.

A recent poll Commissioned by the Points Guy and performed by the Poll Harris showed that 65 percent of Americans said they are more nervous about flying due to recent incidents.

This is what you need to know about flying in or from Newark.

What is behind the delays?

In short: A confluence of factorsIncluding a runway closure, changes in the activities of the airport of the airport, staff shortages and errors of equipment.

Sheldon H. Jacobson, an expert in the field of travel security and safety, called the disturbances ‘a perfect storm’. The National AirSpace System has long been familiar with aging infrastructure, he explained, and although airport facilities have often been updated, air traffic control systems have not kept pace.

As the travel question rises, with more than 2 million people screened by the Transportation Security Administration in the United States per day, he said, this outdated infrastructure is struggling to keep track of.

The recent Software and Hardwareglitchen at Newark rattled the traffic controllers of the airport. Current and former air traffic controllers who have treated traffic for Newark said they would prevent them from flying in and out of the airport, both for safety and for convenience. A current controller advised travelers to choose another airport, and noted that flights in and from Newark will probably be confronted with delays.

A former controller said that the security risk factors have increased.

What do the authorities say about security at Newark?

Civil servants say it is safe, unlike the concerns of some controllers.

In a press conference on Monday, the transport secretary, Sean Duffy, referred to an outdated back -up telecommunications line, including factors. “We try to slow speeds until 1990 for equipment from 1980,” he said.

Mr Duffy said he was planning to reduce the number of flights at Newark as a safety measure. “We are going to make sure that when you fly, you start flying safely, and if we reduce the number of flights at Newark, we don’t do it to annoy people, we don’t do it to postpone traveling people,” he said. “What we do is to guarantee safety, and if you have problems, you actually slide things.”

At the press conference, Chris Rocheleau, the acting manager of the FAA, also emphasized that flying at the airport is safe. From Monday, he said, the agency had convened a task force to tackle the problems, including representatives of the FAA and technology and telecommunications contractors. Civil servants from the transport department are expected to meet on Wednesday with managers of airlines to discuss flight reductions. United, which has about two -thirds of the flights in Newark, already has some flying there.

In one Fox News Opinion -article On Friday, United Chief Executive Scott Kirby attributed the disruptions to outdated and under -financed systems and encouraged customers not to “combine these challenges and limitations with safety”.

“In short, neither the FAA nor United will someday make a compromise about safety,” he wrote. “But when the FAA has technological outages or staff shortages, this leads to delays and cancellations for our customers and that is the problem that we are determined to resolve.”

United has also sent an e -mail to customers who have been set on the safety that a Link to a video With Miles Morgan, the head of the airline flight training, who answers questions from travelers about Newark. “It is absolutely safe to fly,” he says in the video.

Are other airports confronted with similar problems?

The growl traffic in Newark is echoing in the country’s air travel system. The FAA’s website showed delays at a number of American airports on Monday, and A travel advice Published by the office, an average expected delay of 101 minutes for passengers flying to Newark reported, referring to the reason for delays as ‘staff’. The office also shows expected average delays at airports throughout the country On the website.

Mr. Jacobson said that travelers should be more concerned about delays than about safety. He added that Newark should not be the only worries of the airport.

“I suspect that the air traffic tower and the system of every airport are checking everything right now, because everyone is alert to high,” he said.

Do you have to consider other options?

For travelers who are looking for alternatives, options are limited. For traveling of a thousand miles or more, flying is the safest and most practical choice. Driving are much greater risks, with more than a hundred fatalities on American roads every day.

Travelers with flexible routes can consider to book their upcoming flights to leave or arrive in another airport nearby. United offers distance from travelers To recover Newark flights to Philadelphia or Laguardia Airport until 23 May.

Cheyenne Morton is one of those travelers who is nervous about flying.

Mrs. Morton, a second class teacher from the area near Houston, flew home from Newark Airport after he had helped a group of 30 eighth year students in a class trip to New York City and Washington, she repeated recently worried worries at New Jersey airport.

“They always tell you that you should not fly from Newark. There are construction problems, delays, traffic problems from New York, canceled flights and last-minute gate changes,” said Mrs. Morton, who was in the late 1930s. “It all sounds like a lot of mismanagement.”

For those who find themselves at Newark and are delayed because of the recent problems, IHG Hotels & Resorts offers a temporary balm: travelers who submit a proof of flight disruptions Via a booking page Can receive a free drink or starter and loyalty points, even for people who are not a loyalty program.

Emily Steel And Mark Bonamo contributed reporting.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram And Sign up for our travel shipping newsletter To get expert tips about traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Offer a future outing or just traveling an armchair? View our 52 places to go in 2025.