Operators: Be Prepared for Changes to Newark Area Air Traffic Management

July 26, 2024

Pilots conducting flights in the Newark, NJ, area should be aware of an ATC change and possible delays beginning the evening of Saturday, July 27 and into the morning of Sunday, July 28.

During that overnight shift, the Newark area airspace sector will transition from NY TRACON to PHL TRACON. This airspace includes Teterboro (TEB), Morristown (MMU), Caldwell (CDW), Linden (LDJ) and Newark Liberty (EWR) airports. The area designation will transition from New York Approach to Newark Approach.

“While the controllers involved in the transition are all seasoned controllers, certified for this area, this is a significant change that is likely to result in some FAA ATC traffic management initiatives,” said Dean Snell, NBAA’s manager of air traffic services. “During this transition, pilots and operators should expect a reduction in air traffic capacity that impacts operations during peak periods of demand.”

All SIDs/STARs/IAPs will remain unchanged, and the FAA is planning for a seamless transition as far as ATC communications; however, ATC traffic management initiatives are possible during the initial phases of the transition. These include:

• Ground delay programs at reduced arrival rates for Newark, Teterboro and Morristown
• Possible airspace flow programs

“These are some of the tools the FAA uses to safely and effectively meter arrival traffic to a particular area or airport,” said Snell.

Pilots can also expect rerouting that might differ from standard preferred routes. For example, air traffic into Teterboro, Morristown and Caldwell from the south may see reroutes through Allentown/Wilkes Barre (PA) TRACONs or even Cleveland (Ohio) Center arriving from the west.

The ATC command center will look ahead the evening before and decide what traffic management initiatives, including route structure, AFPs and ground delay programs, may be necessary. Operators and pilots should review this information as part of their planning.

NBAA continues to work with the FAA to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible and all reroutes and impacts are relayed in a timely manner. NBAA’s Air Traffic Services will continue to send updates as needed through NBAA Airspace/Airport alerts.