On May 2, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby announced that the carrier would cut around 10% of its flights at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).
The flight cuts consist of the airline “unilaterally canceling 35 round-trip flights per day” beginning the first weekend of May 2025. Kirby said the flight cuts were due to issues with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) technology relied on by air traffic controllers at the New Jersey flight hub. Kirby claimed that the technology had failed multiple times over several days. Moreover, he said over 20% of EWR’s controllers “walked off the job.”
The CEO said the issues caused “dozens of diversions, hundreds of delays and cancellations, and thousands of disrupted travel plans.”
“Keep in mind, this particular air traffic control facility has been chronically understaffed for years, and without these controllers, it’s now clear — and the FAA tells us — that Newark Airport cannot handle the number of planes that are scheduled to operate there in the weeks and months ahead,” Kirby added.
What Else Should Travelers Know About United Airlines Cutting Flights At Newark Airport?
Kirby noted that United Airlines has been “very clear and vocal” about advocating for changes at Newark Airport. Elsewhere in his address, he said United had “no choice” but to cut EWR flights to protect customers.
United Airlines has around 328 flights at Newark Airport daily, including domestic and international routes.
Kirby said he was “pleased” with the Trump administration’s proposed fixes to FAA technology, infrastructure, and staffing. In early May, MSNBC’s Tom Costello reported that up to 3,500 air traffic controller jobs remain unfilled nationwide. Additionally, the correspondent relayed an air traffic controller’s warning that travelers should avoid Newark Airport due to safety concerns.
“These challenges are not new to Newark. United has been urging the US government for years to use its authority to effectively limit the number of flights to what the airport can realistically handle. Past failure to make those changes has led to the circumstances that United and, most importantly, our customers now face,” stated Kirby. “Newark is an incredible airport and takes our customers to 76 different US cities and 81 international destinations … By using the authority it has, the FAA can help Newark fulfill its incredible potential to be a safe, reliable, and efficient gateway to the world for the American traveling public.”
