Troubled Skies: The Ongoing Struggles in U.S. Airport Air Traffic Systems

Air travel across the United States has faced significant challenges in recent months, raising concerns about passenger safety and system reliability.

At Newark Liberty International Airport, repeated failures in the air traffic control radar system have been traced to aging technology, disrupting operations multiple times in recent weeks. Meanwhile, incidents such as aircraft making contact on the tarmac in San Francisco and Washington, D.C. have underscored growing operational risks.

Several commercial flights have been forced to abort landings at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport this month, including one event where an Army helicopter was flying nearby. This comes in the aftermath of a tragic collision between a plane and helicopter in the same airspace that claimed 67 lives.

The Federal Aviation Administration oversees the safe movement of nearly three million passengers and more than 45,000 flights daily. However, many of the systems its air traffic controllers depend on are outdated, and recruiting skilled personnel to operate this legacy technology remains a challenge.

This article examines how decades-old infrastructure and technological shortcomings have led to the current state of instability in air traffic management.

Outdated Technology and Its Consequences

Air traffic controllers rely primarily on radar displays that provide visual tracking of aircraft and radio communications for direct contact with pilots.

Surprisingly, some parts of the system still use copper wiring dating back to the 19th century to transmit critical data. Additionally, outdated storage media like floppy disks and compact discs remain in use, and some flight information is still recorded on paper rather than transmitted electronically.

This patchwork of antiquated hardware and software creates a fragile network. While it often functions without incident, a single malfunction such as a damaged wire can disable radar systems, leaving pilots invisible to controllers responsible for maintaining safe separation.