The first enforcement of the new Real ID came to Newark Liberty International Airport at a hectic time, to say the least.
Wednesday’s deadline for the identification card, initially intended for 2008, occurred as the airport already was dealing with mass delays and cancellations from a myriad of factors. Among them, one of Newark’s runways is closed for renovations, the weather has been spotty, and a shortage of air traffic controllers have all hobbled New Jersey’s largest airport.
“The situation we’re seeing is not unique to Newark, but it is more extreme and intense at Newark,” said Henry Harteveldt, an airline industry analyst for Atmosphere Research Group. “[The FAA] is going to have to go to Congress and make the case that they need long-term funding, multi-year funding, to invest in the necessary technology to make sure that the controllers are using reliable equipment, state-of-the-art equipment.”
The union representing Newark’s air traffic controllers said they briefly lost contact with planes in Newark’s airspace last Monday, leading to some of them taking trauma leave.
Sean Duffy, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, said that his department will be rolling out a plan for the airport on Thursday.
