Musings: A bumpy summer for Newark fliers
An air traffic control tower at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark on May 5. Credit: AP/Seth Wenig
This could be a summer of discontent for Long Islanders flying through Newark.
The Federal Aviation Administration relocated air traffic control responsibilities for Newark Liberty International Airport from Westbury to Philadelphia. The hope was that Philadelphia would provide staffing relief. A relocation plan on Long Island was abandoned, and Philadelphia became the alternative.
The wisdom of the Philadelphia adventure was questioned solely on technological grounds. Architecture that supports air traffic control service is profoundly complex. It uses elaborate algorithms, pathways and interfaces with safety-specific tolerances and values.
Westbury technology “favors” colocation with LaGuardia, Kennedy and Long Island MacArthur airports. Philadelphia is/was not configured to “host” Newark flight plans and radar data — complicated workarounds and software adaptation measures are required.
— Dick Marakovits, Riverhead
The writer retired as an air traffic control manager in Islip.
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