Newark Airport runway reopens early to ease flight delays brought on by construction project
A runway at Newark Liberty International Airport that was shut down for repairs has reopened nearly two weeks ahead of schedule to help ease flight disruptions.
Along with air traffic control staffing and equipment outages, the runway rehabilitation project contributed to delays and cancellations that plagued passengers for weeks across the New York metropolitan area.
Newark Airport runway reopens ahead of schedule
The runway at Newark reopened Monday, 13 days before the $121 million rehabilitation project was originally slated to end on June 15. The number of flights at the New Jersey airport was scaled back while it underwent repaving, lighting upgrades and the installation of new drainage infrastructure to meet Federal Aviation Administration safety standards.
"Over the course of the next months, you're going to see improvements in this airport, in this airspace," Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at a news conference commending the effort to upgrade the runway.
The runway is only for departures and the airport's reduced capacity of 56 flights per hour stays in place for now, Duffy said.
The FAA plans to increase the limit to 68 flights per house next week, when the runway is expected to be cleared for arrivals.
"We are actually using the new runway today for departures and that's a big deal, way ahead of schedule and certainly contributing to a safe and efficient operation," Chris Rocheleau, the FAA's acting administrator, said. "We're going to have our technical operations people go out and certify that new runway for arrivals as well. It's going to take a little bit longer, simply because we want to make sure that the equipment there is certified, is flight checked, and so that's going to take a few more days."
Once the runway is certified, airlines might need a few days to adjust. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said his company plans to increase its flight schedule to match the new limits starting June 15.
"We did get well behind on bookings because of the perception issues around Newark recently. So that means more seats are available, which means that the fares are better than they're probably gonna ever be," Kirby said.
The FAA said Verizon just installed a new fiber line to improve communications for Newark's air traffic controllers. The agency said it is still testing the line and hopes to activate it by early July.
Duffy gives update on Newark Airport
Duffy said the amount of flights available at Newark had to come down in order to reduce delays while the air traffic control shortage is addressed the runway was being repaired.
"This is my airport. I fly out of Newark, and I think a lot of people were frustrated by the fact that they're booking flights and, because of the issues we're having, their flights were hours delayed and then maybe canceled," Duffy said. "All of the airlines came together with the FAA's leadership, and United being the biggest provider airline here at Newark, they worked together to reduce the capacity at the airport," he said. "I think the beauty of that is that when you book your flight, you're going to fly."
The runway, which was last rehabilitated in 2014, was showing significant signs of wear, officials said. Construction started in early March with closures on nights and weekends. The full 24/7 shutdown started April 15.
Additional construction will be done on nights and weekends from September through December, according to officials. The airport's two other runways, 4R-22L and 11-29, will still be available during those periods.
