Forbes StaffOver 450 flights were delayed, and over 60 were canceled following an equipment outage on Labor Day.
On Labor Day, passengers were stranded at the Newark airport because of an equipment outage that delayed over 450 flights and canceled over 60. The ‘radar issue’ made it challenging for passengers who had to wait for their flights to take off, and many others were left stranded because of flight cancellations.
Passengers at Newark Airport were left stranded.
Passengers were stranded at the Newark airport over a ‘radar issue.’ As per Flight Aware, at least 456 flights were delayed, and 64 were canceled following an equipment outage on Labor Day. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) noted that ground delays were implemented at the New Jersey airport due to a ‘radar issue’ that started around 2.30 pm.
Inbound planes also diverted.
Besides the nightmare of passengers being stranded at the Newark airport, several inbound planes also had to be diverted to other airports, Pix11 reported. One passenger, Cari Geffner, narrated the ordeal, saying, “They said there was a problem at Newark Airport, to which we deboarded the plane, and they told us to wait a half an hour.” Meanwhile, her husband, Michael Geffner, told the outlet, “We are on a four o’clock flight, and they finally canceled it at 7:30.” Another passenger said, “I checked in early, and I always check in 24 hours, so I was so surprised that we were delayed. It was shocking.”
Since the mishap occurred on Labor Day, considered one of the busiest days for travel, several flyers took to X and shared their experiences. One user said that the outage “ruined” her daughter’s honeymoon, while another wondered, “How does this happen! On a holiday, also unbelievable.” Another one wrote, “On the tarmac at EWR and UA crew just stated it will be a delay of some unknown time, just shut off an engine to conserve fuel and are letting folks up and out of their seats. No further info beyond them reporting it as an “FAA-level radar issue.”
