RELEASE: Gottheimer Calls on Congress to Vote on Administration’s FAA Overhaul by June 1

Above: Gottheimer calls for immediate action at Newark Liberty International Airport.

NEWARK, NJ — Today, May 9, 2025, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) visited Newark Liberty International Airport to demand swift action to address the air traffic control crisis that is causing massive flight delays and cancellations. 

Gottheimer called on the Trump Administration to immediately submit an emergency funding request and for Congress to vote on it by June 1. The Administration announced plans this week to upgrade the outdated infrastructure for air traffic control towers and address the severe staffing shortages at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Congress must move without delay to pass funding to make these necessary upgrades.

Gottheimer is also calling on the FAA to establish a training program to fast-track military combat controllers (CCTs) to become FAA-certified air traffic controllers (ATCs). Many CCTs have the experience to help the current ATC staffing crisis, but are bogged down by red tape and a 2-3-year certification process. 

Since Monday, May 5, 2025, there have been more than 1,700 cancellations and delays at Newark Airport — many of them last minute. Last week, a copper wire fried in the outdated tower and wiped out all communications between controllers and planes for 90 seconds, causing five air traffic controllers to go on trauma leave, further worsening delays and cancellations. New reporting reveals that another 90-second communications outage occurred earlier this morning. 

A recording of the announcement can be found here.

“I am calling on the Trump Administration and Secretary Duffy to send their FAA air traffic control overhaul plan to Congress for us to vote on by June 1. We cannot wait a day longer to fix the technology issues at Newark, or the dire conditions and staffing issues we are seeing around the country,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “We must immediately surge investment and ensure we have enough people in the towers and on the ground to ensure safety in our skies. No more copper wires. No more outdated technology. We are the greatest country in the world. We must do this now.” 

FAA Issues Causing Massive Delays:

• Nationwide, FAA staffing is at its lowest point in nearly 30 years — with more than 90% of our nation’s air traffic control facilities operating below the FAA’s recommended staffing levels.
  • 73 facilities are missing a quarter of their workforce.  
• In February, the Trump Administration announced they were gutting the FAA and fired 400 workers — adding to the staffing shortage and worsening the crisis. 
• Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy admitted that the system for managing air traffic at Newark is “incredibly old” and “frail,” relying on floppy disks and copper wires instead of more modern fiber wires.
  • The Newark sector relies on a tower that was built in 1973 and uses outdated, inefficient technology from the 1980s.

Gottheimer’s New Action Announced Today:

• Gottheimer demanded that the Trump Administration and Secretary Duffy send an emergency funding request to Congress to fund their air traffic control overhaul plan to be voted on by June 1.
  • Gottheimer is asking the FAA, working with the Port Authority, to conduct an immediate review of the technical wiring and infrastructure at Newark Airport and in the Philadelphia TRACON facility. 
  • Gottheimer is calling on the Administration to surge more air traffic controllers from other parts of the country to this short-staffed region — the busiest airspace in the world. 
• Gottheimer is calling on the FAA to establish a training program to safely and smartly fast-track military combat controllers (CCTs) to become FAA-certified air traffic controllers (ATCs).
  • Currently, red tape and a two to three-year certification process prevent CCTs from becoming FAA-certified ATCs.
• Gottheimer is calling for the FAA to have a plan to fully train all ATCs on any new equipment while upgrades are made.
• Gottheimer called on all airlines at Newark Airport to get ahead of cancellations and flight changes so families and passengers have more notice and flexibility on rebookings and refunds. 

Below: Gottheimer calls for immediate action at Newark Liberty International Airport.

Gottheimer’s full remarks as prepared for delivery can be found below.

Good morning, and thank you for joining me here at Newark Airport, where, since Monday, we’ve seen more than 1,700 cancellations and delays — many of them last minute. United Airlines has cut 35 regularly scheduled flights from Newark, and its CEO even told people to go to other airports because of these issues. 

Travelers have had it with the delays and cancellations — and with good reason. It’s not because Newark Airport isn’t one of the best in the world, with the best of the best working in our terminals, on the runways, and in the towers to keep us safe.  It’s because, right now, the airport simply lacks the FAA tower staffing levels, modern technology, and infrastructure that we need. Add that to the ongoing runway construction project — and you can see why it’s a mess and why things are jammed up.  

Last year, nearly 146 million air passengers flew in and out of the New Jersey-New York metro area — a new record. Our region is a key economic artery for our country. It’s where 20 percent of the nation’s GDP runs through. Yet, this region, the Newark sector, as the FAA calls it, one of the busiest air spaces in the whole world, is running off a tower that’s full of copper wire and 1980s outdated and inefficient technology. And, the region is short of about 40 air traffic controllers.

The result is lots of delays and canceled flights, and air traffic controllers who are overworked, and extra stressed. It also means that people are increasingly choosing other airports to fly out of. All of this is unacceptable. I’ll say it again: our air traffic controllers are the best in the world and are doing everything they can to keep Jersey families’ flights on time despite having severely outdated resources. On a good day, our air traffic controllers are under immense pressure to do a lot with what they’re given. When the slightest error could be deadly, we must do everything we can to fix this problem, from staffing levels to technology — and get Newark Airport moving again. 

The question is how did we get here? Our system for managing air traffic is “incredibly old” — relying on floppy disks and copper wires — instead of more modern fiber wires. The tower facility itself was built in 1973. And, on April 28, a copper wire fried and wiped out all communications between controllers and planes for up to 90 seconds — causing five employees to go on trauma leave, further worsening the air traffic controller shortage and causing more delays and cancellations. Today, it occurred again —  another 90 second outage, no radar, no radio. Imagine a minute and a half of no communication with all those lives relying on you. 

These are issues I’ve been on for years, along with the Port Authority and others, with the FAA. Not long ago, I visited the tower here and saw first-hand how antiquated the systems are. Air traffic controllers work grueling, around-the-clock shifts. Some are working overtime without air conditioning, having to pass pieces of paper to communicate, yes, little paper slips, with exposed pipes or roofs ready to cave in around them.

Making things worse, as I mentioned, there are not nearly enough air traffic controllers in the towers. Nationwide, FAA staffing is at its lowest point in nearly 30 years — with more than 90 percent of our nation’s air traffic control facilities operating below the FAA’s recommended staffing levels. There are 73 facilities that are missing a quarter of their workforce. With controllers retiring by age 56, and it taking up to four years to train and replace them, we’re hemorrhaging experienced staff. And, the less staff we have, the more stress they must take on — creating a vicious cycle we must act now to get ahead of.

That’s why I was alarmed earlier this year when the Trump Administration announced they were gutting the FAA and firing 400 workers. It made no sense, given how short-staffed we are. And it’s clearly causing massive stress on the system. While air travel remains the safest form of travel in the country, from January through April, the National Transportation Safety Board investigated 250 aviation accidents, and, tragically, there’s been at least 143 aviation-related deaths this year. In January, we lost 67 souls in a tragic crash over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. — the first major airline crash in 16 years.

So, it was good news yesterday when the Administration appeared to reverse course and recognize the action that must be taken. We heard Transportation Secretary Duffy announce new plans for the FAA to replace or upgrade the decades-old, outdated infrastructure at more than 4,600 sites with new fiber, wireless, and satellite technologies over the next three to four years. This includes replacing 618 radars that are past their life cycle, 25,000 radios, 475 voice switches, and building 15 new towers, and 6 new state-of-the-art Air Traffic Control Centers for the first time since the 1960s. 

Again, this is something that many of us have been calling on them to do for years now — for me, dating back to my first term in Congress. Last Congress, I helped pass the FAA Reauthorization Act, requiring the FAA to deploy critical safety technology at airports across the country to help prevent “close calls” on and around our runways. To actually help with our broader FAA staffing shortages and technology issues. It’s why I worked so hard to help write and pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, which includes 53 million dollars for Jersey’s airports, with 42 million for Newark, to upgrade our terminals and enhance runway safety.

But, what the Secretary proposed is a massive project that won’t just happen with the snap of a finger. Here’s what we need to get this done. 

First, I am calling on the Trump Administration and the Secretary to send their FAA air traffic control overhaul plan to Congress for us to vote on by June 1. This should be an emergency funding request. It’s clear that we can’t afford to delay fixing our towers any longer. No more copper wires. No more outdated technology. We are the greatest country in the world. We must do this now. 

As part of this request, I’m asking the FAA, working with the Port Authority, to conduct an immediate review of the technical wiring and infrastructure, so we don’t miss anything in this process. They need to tell me what they need, so we can get it to them. 

Second, we must immediately move more air traffic controllers from other parts of the country to this short-staffed region — the busiest airspace in the world. The staffing shortage has meant more delays and cancellations — and more overworked and stressed air traffic controllers. 

We should pay these air traffic controllers whatever it takes to get them here. 20 percent of our nation’s economy runs through this region and through Jersey — and this is hurting our economy. 

Today, I’m suggesting that we go a step further. I am calling on the FAA to establish a training program to safely and smartly fast-track Combat Controllers, or CCTs, from the military to become FAA-certified Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs). I’ve heard from many military controllers who are ready with the experience and desire to help. But, red tape and a two to three-year-long certification process are stopping them. 

By creating this program, we can help fast-track military control tower workers, get them trained on how to handle the Newark airspace, reduce staff shortages, and help airports like ours get back on track. This is just commonsense, and clearly if they can handle the skies in a military offensive, they would have a good leg up on handling flights here. And, I’m going to McGuire Air Force Base to recruit. 

Third, we must ensure that as we upgrade the towers to new technology, as outlined in the Secretary’s plan, our air traffic controllers are trained to use it. So, I am calling for the FAA to have a plan to fully train all ATCs on any new equipment while upgrades are made. We need to give our air traffic controllers the tools they need to hit the ground running. 

Finally, and this is directed at all of the airlines here, they need to get ahead of cancellations and flight changes, to give people more notice and flexibility on rebookings and refunds until this problem is solved — instead of having folks stuck waiting at the gate after the fact. We want people to use Newark Airport — we need to give them a great experience. I don’t want anyone heading elsewhere as their go-to place to fly from.

But I know this, we cannot wait a day longer to fix the technology issues at Newark, or the dire conditions and staffing issues we are seeing around the country. We must immediately surge investment and ensure we have enough people in the towers and on the ground to ensure safety in our skies. The bottom line is that this isn’t a partisan issue — it’s a matter of public safety. It’s about fixing a system that we need to work together to fix.

As long as we do that to keep our skies and families safe, I know that here in the greatest country in the world, our best days will always be ahead of us. Thank you.

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