Ground stop lifted at Newark airport

Newark runway reopens nearly two weeks ahead of schedule

A Newark airport runway that had been closed since April — causing major delays — has reopened ahead of schedule. FOX 5 NY’s Antwan Lewis reports from Newark airport.

NEW JERSEY - The FAA had issued a groundstop on all flights at Newark Liberty International Airport on Wednesday evening as New York City's second-busiest airport continued to struggle with staffing shortages.

But that order has since been lifted.

Newark plagued with problems

The backstory:

The FAA limited Newark airport to 28 arrivals and departures per hour due to construction and staff shortages, but plans to increase this to 34 once runway work is completed.

United Airlines airplanes sit parked at gates while others proceed to a runway at Newark Liberty International Airport in front of the skyline of lower Manhattan and One World Trade Center in New York City on February 20, 2025, in Newark, New Jersey.

The $121 million construction project finished 13 days early, aiming to alleviate airport issues, The runway began to be used for departures Monday but won't be available for arrivals until after that testing is completed. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that if all goes well, the runway should be certified by June 10.

But Newark has also faced cancellations and delays due to a shortage of air traffic controllers following technical problems at a Philadelphia facility.

Five air traffic controllers went on 45-day trauma leaves after the first radar and communications outage at the Philadelphia facility on April 28, and another one is out on medical leave. That left the facility with only 16 certified controllers and five supervisors.