Recent air traffic control issues at Newark Liberty Airport and the recent dismissal of an NTSB board member signal significant aviation safety issues in the US.

Since early May, Newark Airport has experienced significant flight disruptions due to radar outages and shortages of air traffic controllers. The current FAA administrator blames the previous administration for these problems. What’s the truth?

These issues have been ongoing for more than a decade for many reasons. 

Delayed infrastructure improvementsAging air traffic controller workforceIncreased demand for flight operations at Newark

Add to this that there aren’t enough trained air traffic controllers. A combination of retirements, COVID hiring freezes, and flawed hiring policy changes have limited the number of potential new controllers.

John Goglia and Todd Curtis discuss possible air traffic controller mental health issues that may arise from a combination of stress from long hours and high workload. Negative news coverage from both traditional and online media compounds the situation.

NTSB board member Alvin Brown was removed without explanation in May. Brown is a former mayor of Jacksonville, Florida. He was a board member since March 2024 and vice chair since December 2024. This is the first time a Board member had been removed in such a fashion. Todd and John speculate that Brown was dismissed because of his close association with the Democratic Party.

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