US FAA to meet with airlines about temporary Newark flight cuts

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, May 9 (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration said late on Friday it plans to meet with major airlines on Wednesday about potential temporary cuts in flights at New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport to address recent major disruptions.

Earlier this week, Transportation Department Secretary Sean Duffy said the Federal Aviation Administration was working with airlines to cut flights at Newark after hundreds of flights were disrupted since April 28.

United Airlines UAL.O, the largest airline at Newark, last week cut 10% of its flights there after prior significant cuts. On some recent days, flights have been delayed five hours or more, on average.

On Friday, the Philadelphia facility that guides air traffic in and out of Newark airport suffered a new 90-second communications outage, the second in two weeks.

The Newark airport has been hit by runway construction, FAA equipment outages and air traffic control staffing shortages that prompted urgent calls from lawmakers for investigations and new funding for Newark, the busy airport just outside New York.

United said it has historically flown 440 flights daily out of Newark, but after cutting flights earlier this spring due to the runway construction and the latest cuts, it is now down to 293.

The FAA last year relocated control of the Newark airspace to Philadelphia to address staffing and congested New York City area traffic.

United CEO Scott Kirby wants Duffy to designate Newark as a slot controlled airport, which would allow the FAA to limit the number of departing or arriving flights due to congestion and capacity constraints to prevent delays.

Reuters first reported last week that major U.S. airlines have asked the FAA to extend cuts to minimum flight requirements at congested New York City-area airports through October 2027, citing severe air traffic controller staffing shortages.