A string of alarming equipment failures at Newark Liberty International Airport became so routine over the past year that air traffic controllers began dismissing them—until a massive outage in April finally forced national attention on the FAA's crumbling infrastructure.
For years, the FAA has faced criticism over aging systems and staffing shortages, but many issues remained out of public view. In the early 2000s, the agency began relocating Newark's air traffic controllers from Long Island to a facility in Philadelphia, hoping to reduce costs and address recruitment challenges, according to the New York Times.
