UPDATE - Radar blackout hits Newark airport in US amid staffing shortages

UPDATES WITH STATEMENT FROM WHITE HOUSE

By Rabia Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - Radar screens at Newark Liberty International Airport went dark on Friday morning in the latest technical failure affecting the busy New Jersey hub, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.

“There was a telecommunications outage that impacted communications and radar display at Philadelphia TRACON Area C, which guides aircraft in and out of Newark Liberty International Airport airspace,” the FAA said in a statement.

“The outage occurred around 3:55 a.m. on Friday, May 9, and lasted approximately 90 seconds.”

This marks the second outage in just over a week. Last week, A similar incident also caused radar and communication screens to go dark for up to 90 seconds, leading to a brief suspension of departures and leaving some controllers traumatized.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the glitch in the system was caused by the same telecoms and software issues that emerged last week.

"Everything went back online after the brief outage, and there was no operational impact. DOT (Department of Transportation) and the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) are working to address this technical issue tonight to prevent further outages, as well as install new fiber from Newark Airport to Philadelphia," she said.

Leavitt added that the goal is to have the work done by the end of the summer.