The weeks of continued disruptions at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) has put America’s Air Traffic Control System in the spotlight and has revealed a broken system. Decades of failing to properly invest in the system has prevented good-faith efforts to make technology upgrades and bolster the staffing of our nation’s hard-working air traffic controllers.
But don’t conflate these challenges and constraints with safety. The truth is that all the flights in and out of EWR are absolutely safe. When there are FAA issues — technology outages, staffing shortages, etc. — the FAA requires all airlines to slow down aircraft and/or cancel flights to maintain the highest levels of safety…