Overview

• A new runway at Newark Liberty International Airport is slated to open by June 15, boosting hourly flight capacity from 28 to 34 arrivals and departures.
• Verizon and the FAA have installed a fiber optic cable between Philadelphia and New York that is set to replace aging copper lines and go live by early July after thorough testing.
• Sixteen air traffic controllers have been redeployed to the Philadelphia TRACON and are undergoing certification training to shore up understaffed operations.
• The FAA has kept flight slots limited to 28 per hour to maintain safety following repeated technology failures and staffing shortages, with capacity reassessed again in October.
• Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy cautions that these interim fixes still require congressional approval of tens of billions of dollars for a full overhaul of the national air traffic control system.