More U.S. airports could face chaos like Newark's meltdown, transportation chief warns

The Federal Aviation Administration said passengers on Monday can expect delays through 9 p.m. E.T. According to Flight Aware, the airport already cancelled 82 flights on Monday and announced 64 delays.

The disruptions have been caused by three main problems: staffing issues with its air traffic controllers, equipment failures linked to outdated technology, and the closure of a runway in need of repairs.

But Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told Meet The Press Sunday that “the lights are blinking, the sirens are turning” throughout the whole system.

“What you see in Newark is gonna happen in other places across the country,” he said, acknowledging both telecom and software issues.

At Newark, air traffic controllers have lost contact with planes for short time periods twice in the past few weeks.

Duffy said his office believes they will be able to fix the problems at Newark “in short order,” but didn’t provide a specific date. He said more flights will need to be cancelled to accommodate the problems.

“We want to have a number of flights that if you book your flight, you know it’s going to fly, right?” he said. “That is the priority. So you don’t get to the airport, wait four hours, and then get delayed.”

Duffy also said he wants to raise the mandatory retirement age for air traffic controllers by five years to 61 to combat staffing issues.

United CEO Scott Kirby, whose airline has been most affected by the issues at Newark, told CBS’ “Face the Nation” that he expects to continue cutting flights through at least mid-June.

“We have fewer flights, but we keep everything safe, and we get the airplane safely on the ground,” the CEO said. “Safety is number one, and so I’m not worried about safety. I am worried about customer delays and impacts.”

The Trump administration moved to fire hundreds of Federal Aviation Administration employees in February; the cuts included roles involved in “FAA radar, landing and navigational aid maintenance,” AP reported.