On April 28, air traffic controllers lost all radar and radio contact with planes headed into one of the nation’s largest airports.
For nearly 90 seconds, air traffic controllers couldn’t see, hear, or communicate with flights inbound to Newark Liberty International Airport — a horrifying blackout that underscores the urgent need for a complete overhaul of our air traffic control system.
The culprits were a fried copper wire transmitter and a failed backup communications line — symptoms of an antiquated air traffic control infrastructure that faces mounting pressure with every passing day.
Although flight remains the safest form of commercial travel, we shouldn’t tempt fate. It’s foolish and negligent to continue standard operating procedures amid the aviation sector’s rapid deterioration.
At present, 76% of all functioning air traffic control systems are…
