Fewer people are flying out of Newark airport than this time last year

For some travelers, Newark Liberty International Airport has become a no-fly zone.

With passengers spooked by reports of harried air traffic controllers’ losing radio and radar contact with planes and dismayed by the resulting massive flight delays, the average daily number of travelers flying out of Newark, New Jersey, has dropped by as much as 20% compared with this time last year, from around 72,983 during the second week of May 2024 to 58,496 last week, according to Transportation Security Administration data reviewed by NBC News.

Meanwhile, New York’s LaGuardia Airport experienced a 16% increase in the average daily number of travelers during the same period, from 36,367 in 2024 to 42,037 this year, the data shows.

And New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport has had a slight increase in the average number of daily travelers, from 96,392 in 2024 to 97,061 this year in the second week of May, according to the data.

The Federal Aviation Administration predicts higher-than-usual volume of flights for the Memorial Day weekend, with a peak of about 54,000 flights Thursday.

“We’re expecting flight numbers to grow week by week throughout the summer, with the peak at the end of July and six more 54,000+ flight days before the end of August,” the FAA said in a statement. “Thursdays will be the busiest day of the week.”

But at Newark, the FAA has proposed reducing the number of arrivals and departures after air traffic communication issues caused controllers to lose radio and radar contact with the planes they were guiding for 90 seconds on April 28.

There is “a structure of how many flights can leave per hour. We have a delayed flight schedule of takeoffs,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, Reuters reported Tuesday. “You are going to see a reduction.”

That reduction came by way of an interim order that takes effect Tuesday: Until construction of Runway 4-Left/22-Right is complete, the maximum hourly rate will be 28 arrivals and 28 departures, the FAA said. Daily construction will end June 15 but will continue on Saturdays through the end of the year.

Outside of the construction period, 34 hourly arrivals and departures will be allowed until Oct. 25.

“Our goal is to relieve the substantial inconvenience to the traveling public from excessive flight delays due to construction, staffing challenges, and recent equipment issues, which magnify as they spread through the National Airspace System,” Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau said in a statement.

The agency added that arrival and departure limits could be adjusted higher or lower, depending on conditions.

United Airlines, which has a hub at Newark, would be the most affected, Duffy said. “They’re the biggest player at Newark,” he said.

United didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Earlier this month, it voluntarily cut 35 round-trip flights per day from Newark, where, in addition to a shortage of controllers, ongoing runway construction has contributed to flight delays.

Since Duffy announced last week that the FAA and the major airlines were talking about reducing the number of flights in and out of Newark, the percentage of flight cancellations has dropped significantly.

For most of last week, Newark’s share of nationwide flight cancellations had been hovering between 35% and 60%, according to FlightAware data. But on Friday, the number of cancellations was at 15%, and it dropped to 9% on Saturday.