Bad Weather, Grounded Planes Cause Headaches At Newark Airport

NEWARK, NJ — A combination of bad winter weather and grounded aircraft has been causing headaches for travelers at Newark Liberty International Airport this week.

There have been nearly 200 canceled or delayed flights at the busy airport on Wednesday, according to FlightAware. As of 2 p.m., the total stood at 127 delays and 64 cancellations.

One culprit? Snow and frigid rain that has been accumulating across New Jersey this week. Read More: New Winter Storm Targets NJ (See Latest Forecast)

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s other two major airports – LaGuardia and JFK – have also seen flight disruptions due to the weather, authorities reported Tuesday.

There is also another factor behind the headaches in Newark, however.

Many of the delays and cancellations at Newark Airport have been United Airlines flights. United – which maintains a hub in Newark – recently announced that it was “temporarily suspending service” on some of its planes after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered them grounded.

United and Alaska Airlines are the main users of the 171 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft involved in the FAA order. See Related: United Will Buy Planes From Boeing, 'Re-Energize' Newark Routes

The order came in response to a Jan. 5 incident involving one of the aircraft – operated by Alaska Airlines – which was forced to make an emergency landing after leaving Portland, Oregon when a door plug broke loose from the fuselage at 16,000 feet in the air. The incident left a gaping hole in the side of the plane and ripped headrests off seats. Some passengers were treated for nonlife-threatening injuries, and several have since filed a lawsuit.

The federal agency is investigating Boeing’s manufacturing practices and production lines, including those involving subcontractor Spirit AeroSystems, which manufactures and initially installed the fuselage part that suffered a blowout.

“The safety of the flying public, not speed, will determine the timeline for returning these aircraft to service,” the FAA said Wednesday.

United Airlines issued a statement about the FAA order and the grounded planes on Jan. 6, writing that “safety is always our top priority.”

“We are working directly with impacted customers to find them alternative travel options,” the company said.

Flights operated by a 737 MAX 8 are not impacted by the FAA order, United added.

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