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United Airlines (UAL) CEO Scott Kirby tried to assuage flyers’ concerns about the chaos at Newark Liberty International Airport, saying that the major New Jersey hub is “absolutely safe.”
Kirby delivered the message in an email to customers on Monday, following two weeks of crippling disruptions at the airport, where many air traffic controllers took leave after recently losing contact with planes for a brief period. The technology and staffing issues — along with a pre-scheduled renovation of a runway — have caused major delays and forced United Airlines to cancel dozens of flights every day.
“Our hard working air traffic controllers clearly need more staff and better technology, and the good news is that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has a plan to make that happen,” Kirby said. “But despite these challenges and constraints, there are many procedures in place to ensure your safety when you fly with us.”
Kirby said United pilots are “trained for a wide range of potential issues, including radar or communications outages.”
“The truth is that all the flights in and out of EWR are absolutely safe,” he said. “Neither the FAA nor United will ever compromise on safety.”
The message was sent to United customers with upcoming flights out of Newark and those who live nearby and have flown out of Newark before. It also included a video from Captain Miles Morgan, the managing director of United Airlines’ Flight Training Center.
Chris Rocheleau, the FAA’s acting director, announced the creation of an emergency task force Monday to address Newark’s telecom outages.
Newark is a United hub, so the airline has been the most affected by the disruptions. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy told CNBC on Tuesday that he will convene airlines that fly out of Newark on Wednesday to figure out a plan to move forward.
“All the airlines are going to come together and see if they can get to an agreement on how they reduce their capacity at Newark,” Duffy said.