The feds are questioning the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision to relocate air traffic controllers who oversee Newark’s airspace from Long Island to Philadelphia — following a series of radar blackouts and growing concerns over exhausted, short-staffed crews working 60-hour weeks.
The Department of Transportation’s Inspector General confirmed this week that it’s auditing the FAA’s 2024 decision to shift control of Newark Liberty Airport’s airspace from New York TRACON, the radar hub in Westbury, to Philadelphia’s air traffic tower after they experienced a series of radar blackouts in New Jersey.
“The FAA downplayed the safety risks,” Rep. Laura Gillen said of the relocation.
“They reported the risk of an outage is one in 11 million — and it happened twice in the year since they moved,” Gillen said — referencing two 90-second radar blackouts at Newark airport in April and May of this year…