Here’s When Delays Might Improve At This Busy NJ Airport – And Why

This article was update with a statement from the governor's office at 2:20 p.m. on May 30

NEWARK, NJ — Travelers at Newark Airport in New Jersey are expected to get some relief on June 2 when a major runway construction project crosses the finish line, officials say.

For the past few weeks, passengers at the busy airport have been pulling their hair out over a series of cancellations and delays. Federal officials recently ordered Newark Airport to limit its daily number of flights until things improve.

A lack of air traffic controllers and antiquated, malfunction-prone equipment are being blamed for many of the problems. Other factors that are adding to the chaos include ongoing runway construction and passenger totals that are among the highest in the airport’s history.

• Read More: Newark Airport ‘Chaos’ Continues (5 Reasons Behind The Delays)
• Read More: Feds Limit Planes At Busy NJ Airport As Frustrating Delays Stack Up

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy has repeatedly said that it is safe to fly in and out of Newark Airport. However, things need to change, Duffy has added.

“We have to fix this, because what you see in Newark is going to happen in other places across the country,” he recently asserted.

The transportation secretary gave an update on the situation Wednesday, noting that one of the three major issues behind the delays – runway construction – is expected to end on June 15, and possibly even earlier.

“The Port Authority [of New York and New Jersey] has done an amazing job,” he said. “They were working seven days a week, 16 to 18-hours a day, to finish this runway. The concrete has been laid – I think they’re just striping right now.”

On Friday afternoon, Gov. Phil Murphy confirmed that the runway construction is proceeding ahead of schedule.

According to Murphy, regular runway operations will resume on June 2 – nearly two weeks earlier than expected.

“I commend the crews who have worked tirelessly to get this critical project done ahead of schedule,” Murphy said.

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Port Authority officials recently noted that runway rehabilitation work may impact flight schedules through mid-June at Newark Airport.

According to an advisory from the bi-state agency:

“From April 15, 2025 to mid-June 2025, Runway 4L-22R will be fully closed for rehabilitation work as part of a $121 million rehabilitation project. This work is designed to maintain the runway in a state of good repair, improve its infrastructure, meet the latest FAA standards, and ensure its continued safe operation. To minimize operational impacts during this period, the FAA will redirect flight activity to the airport’s other runways. While Runway 4L-22R is closed, Runways 4R-22L and 11-29 will remain operational. Passengers are advised to check with their airline for any updates, as flight schedules may be affected.”

According to the Port Authority, the 11,000-foot-long, 150-foot-wide runway, the busiest at EWR for departing flights, was last rehabilitated in 2014. The current project will include a new paved surface and upgraded lighting and signage.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is limiting the maximum hourly rate of flights to 28 arrivals and 28 departures until construction of the runway is finished.

Daily construction is expected to end on June 15, but will continue on Saturdays until the end of the year. Once construction is done, the limit will be raised to 34 arrivals and departures until Oct. 25, the FAA stated.

The new limits took effect on May 20.

United Airlines maintains a hub in Newark, and has been among the airlines most heavily impacted by the delays. The company cancelled 35 roundtrip flights per day from its Newark schedule earlier this month.

Jon Gooda, United Airlines’ vice president of airport operations at Newark Airport (EWR), recently said the runway construction is expected to be completed in “mid-June.”

“Our plan is to slowly and safely build our schedule over the summer,” Gooda reported last week. “However, because of the recent FAA decision, every airline’s schedule at EWR will be smaller than planned and smaller than last year, including ours. We’ll operate fewer daily flights this summer compared to last year, which gives us even more confidence that our EWR operation will continue to run reliably.”

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Duffy discussed plans to boost the number of air traffic controllers across the nation earlier this month, outlining a blueprint for an aggressive recruitment campaign. He said the agency is on track to hire at least 2,000 controllers in the U.S. this year.

There is also a plan in the works to take immediate steps to fix the equipment malfunctions by “accelerating technological and logistical improvements,” the FAA said.

• See Related: Chaos Prompts Federal Intervention At NJ Airport

In the meanwhile, eyebrow-raising reports of equipment malfunctions continue to take place involving Newark Airport.

On May 19, a brief radio outage took place involving planes at the beleaguered airport – at least the fourth such “telecommunications issue” that has happened since April 28.

• See Related: Radio Cuts Out At Newark Airport Again, Outage Adds To Growing List

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