The Biden administration is to blame for the ongoing air traffic control failures at New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport, and throughout the system, Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Monday.

The airport, which served 49 million travelers in 2024 and is the second busiest in the New York City area, has been drowning in delays and cancellations for days.

Similar to last summer, there is currently a nationwide shortage of air traffic controllers, which will “take time” to replenish, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

Several times over the last year, Newark controllers lost radar or radio service, leaving them unable to talk with planes they were tracking.

Caught in the middle of the issues at Newark is United Airlines, which is the most active airline at the New Jersey airport. While the problems lie with the FAA system, the airline is where people often aim their frustrations over cancellations and delays.

A reporter asked Duffy on Monday why the first Trump administration chose not to address the air traffic control system during his first term in office, noting that Duffy said it was a “decades-old” problem. However, Duffy’s answer left many users on social media scratching their heads.

The United States aviation industry continues to grapple with the worst air traffic controller shortage in nearly 30 years as a recent spate of incidents has thrust the high-stress profession into the spotlight.

One air traffic controller (ATC) and a trainee will operate every flight in and out of Newark between 6.30pm-9.30pm — despite 15 staffers being the standard requirement for a shift.