The Federal Aviation Administration, in coordination with Verizon and L3Harris Technologies, has launched an emergency task force aimed at resolving ongoing telecommunications failures at Newark Liberty International Airport, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Monday.
The move comes after three separate outages over the past two weeks caused air traffic controllers at Newark to lose communication with aircraft, prompting flight delays and straining operations at one of the country’s busiest airports.
The newly formed task force includes executives and technical specialists from the FAA, Verizon, and L3Harris — the FAA contractor responsible for telecom systems in the region.
“This is about building redundancy and restoring confidence in the system,” Duffy said during a press briefing. “We’re working to establish three new communication lines between New York and Philadelphia to ensure that if one goes down, others remain operational.”
String of Outages Prompt Urgent Response
On April 28 and May 9, air traffic controllers at Newark lost their primary communication systems for about 90 seconds each time. Controllers were unable to see or speak to aircraft, leading to major operational disruptions and extensive flight delays.
A third incident occurred on Sunday, May 11. While the main system failed again, a software patch allowed backup systems to function, minimizing the impact. Even so, a 45-minute ground stop was issued out of caution.
Some controllers have taken time off due to the stress caused by the outages, according to FAA officials.
Verizon, L3Harris to Overhaul Connections
Duffy said he had spoken directly with Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg, who committed to accelerating work on network redundancy. Verizon provides the telecom infrastructure that links Newark’s air traffic control systems to a facility in Philadelphia, where a significant portion of control functions are handled.
L3Harris, a major FAA contractor, will play a key role in evaluating and upgrading system reliability as part of the task force.
“This team includes the right technical experts and will remain laser-focused,” said FAA Acting Administrator Chris Rocheleau. “We are committed to transparency and daily progress.”
Wider Air Traffic Modernization in Focus
The announcement follows a broader Department of Transportation initiative to modernize the U.S. air traffic control system, with a multibillion-dollar proposal currently awaiting congressional approval.
Duffy said the Newark issues underscore the urgency of that national investment, particularly as air travel surges ahead of the summer season.
In addition to the technical fixes, Duffy will host a “delay reduction” meeting on Wednesday with all airlines operating at Newark to address traffic congestion and scheduling inefficiencies.
“Our goal is to ensure a manageable flow of flights,” Duffy said. “Passengers shouldn’t have to wait five hours for a flight that never leaves the ground.”
