Air Traffic Control News

Bloomberg • Allyson Versprille

FAA Probes 90-Second ATC Communications Outage at Denver International

FAA is investigating a Monday incident at Denver International Airport in which primary air traffic control communication lines failed for about 90 seconds, forcing controllers to switch to emergency backup frequencies. Radar remained online throughout the outage, and controllers maintained contact with all flights without interruption.

2025-05-15T10:26:52.616655-07:00

Washington Post

FAA Unaware of Three-Year Military–Civil ATC Hotline Outage Before DCA Near Miss

2025-05-14T08:19:36.422453-07:00

Associated Press

Newark Liberty Controllers Blinded Again by 90-Second Radar and Comms Outage

2025-05-09T09:07:08.947806-07:00

Associated Press

Duffy Orders Flight Cuts at Newark Liberty Following ATC Delays and Equipment Failures

2025-05-11T06:27:28.033574-07:00

Air Traffic Control News Timeline

Flightradar24

How SIDs and STARs Streamline Traffic at Busy Airports Standard Instrument Departures (SIDs) and Standard Terminal Arrival Routes (STARs) set predefined flight paths for aircraft leaving and arriving at major airfields. By standardizing lateral and vertical profiles, these procedures optimize runway throughput, reduce controller workload and enhance safety in high-density airspace.

2025-05-16T07:49:29.581531-07:00

How SIDs and STARs Streamline Traffic at Busy Airports

AINonline

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Eurocontrol Sees 5% Rise in Traffic and Delays Ahead of Summer Peak Eurocontrol data show Europe’s air traffic is up 5% year-to-date versus 2024, pushing flow management delays up 5% as airlines brace for peak summer congestion. With controller capacity stretched across the network, carriers and airports face heightened operational risks.

2025-05-15T23:46:04.121915-07:00

Eurocontrol Sees 5% Rise in Traffic and Delays Ahead of Summer Peak

Wall Street Journal

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Newark ATC Controller Speaks Out After Averting Potential Midair Collision Jonathan Stewart, an air traffic controller at Newark Liberty International Airport, narrowly prevented a midair collision in recent weeks. He’s now broken his silence on the incident, saying he was ‘badly shaken’ by the prospect of being ‘responsible for killing 400 people’ and urging focus on controller well-being.

2025-05-15T13:38:45.265963-07:00

Newark ATC Controller Speaks Out After Averting Potential Midair Collision

AINonline

EU Enforces New Lost-Com and Emergency Descent Procedures Across Airspace New EU-wide protocols for radio communication failure and emergency descent are now mandatory across European airspace, standardizing pilot actions and air traffic control responses in the event of lost comms or rapid depressurizations. The measures, adopted by the European Commission and EASA, aim to reduce confusion and improve safety.

2025-05-15T13:38:17.562946-07:00

EU Enforces New Lost-Com and Emergency Descent Procedures Across Airspace

CBS News

FAA Taps eBay Parts and 3D Printing to Keep Decades-Old ATC Systems Running The FAA, facing vital ATC systems up to 40 years old in places, has begun sourcing legacy parts on eBay and using 3D printing to fabricate critical replacement components. These interim fixes seek to keep radar, communications and automation systems operational as a comprehensive infrastructure overhaul awaits funding.

2025-05-15T11:46:18.557046-07:00

FAA Taps eBay Parts and 3D Printing to Keep Decades-Old ATC Systems Running

Bloomberg

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FAA Probes 90-Second ATC Communications Outage at Denver International FAA is investigating a Monday incident at Denver International Airport in which primary air traffic control communication lines failed for about 90 seconds, forcing controllers to switch to emergency backup frequencies. Radar remained online throughout the outage, and controllers maintained contact with all flights without interruption.

2025-05-15T10:26:52.616655-07:00

FAA Probes 90-Second ATC Communications Outage at Denver International

Politico

FAA Weighed Ban on Army Helicopters After Unauthorized Black Hawk Incursion at Reagan National The FAA this week considered a temporary ban on US Army helicopter operations at Washington’s Reagan National Airport after an Army Black Hawk strayed into restricted airspace without clearance, forcing two commercial flights to abort their landings. The deliberation follows multiple near-miss incidents that have renewed safety concerns at one of the nation’s busiest hubs.

2025-05-14T20:19:06.601893-07:00

FAA Weighed Ban on Army Helicopters After Unauthorized Black Hawk Incursion at Reagan National

Washington Post

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FAA Unaware of Three-Year Military–Civil ATC Hotline Outage Before DCA Near Miss The FAA confirmed the hotline linking Pentagon and Reagan National air traffic controllers has been inoperative since March 2022—a lapse the agency didn’t detect until last month’s near miss involving a Delta airliner and military jets in Washington airspace.

2025-05-14T08:19:36.422453-07:00

FAA Unaware of Three-Year Military–Civil ATC Hotline Outage Before DCA Near Miss

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