Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy detailed his plan to update Newark Liberty International Airport‘s infrastructure to address recent outages, blaming the Biden administration for the current problems.
In a post on X, Duffy shared a four-point plan to ensure Newark’s infrastructure is fully updated.
First, Duffy called for the completion of a new fiber line at Newark, John F. Kennedy, and LaGuardia airports. The Federal Aviation Administration has already replaced copper wires with fiber lines at Newark Liberty Airport, and they are being tested.
He then expressed the need for three new telecommunication connections between New York City and Philadelphia to provide greater speed and reliability. The FAA is currently engaged in discussions with Verizon and L3 Harris about how to expedite this process.
The FAA will deploy a temporary backup system to Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control as it seeks to switch to a fiber-optic network. The system is meant to ensure that air traffic controllers can communicate with aircraft in case both fiber connections fail simultaneously.
Duffy said he also plans to create a Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System hub at the Philadelphia TRACON, so the system can be “self-reliant.”
During a press conference on Monday, Duffy blamed the Biden administration for failing to adequately maintain airport infrastructure.
“I think it is clear that the blame belongs with the last administration,” Duffy said. “[Former Transportation Secretary] Pete Buttigieg and [former President] Joe Biden did nothing to fix the system that they knew was broken.”
Newark Liberty Airport has experienced hundreds of delays and cancellations over the past two weeks as it deals with equipment outages that have caused air traffic controller screens to go dark.
If Congress approves Duffy’s new air traffic control system plan, the work at Newark Liberty Airport would be prioritized.
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE DELAYS AT NEWARK AIRPORT CAUSED BY STAFFING SHORTAGES
In an interview with CNBC, Duffy said it will take two to four years before “we see more air traffic controllers and we get an infrastructure that’s worthy of America into our airspace.”
“We have solutions and fixes to the problems, but none of these you can snap your fingers and fix,” he added.