Soul-Crushing Newark Airport Delays Linger On: 'All I Can Do Is Sigh'

NEWARK, NJ — Things haven’t been pretty at Newark Liberty International Airport this week, largely thanks to an ongoing stretch of stormy weather that forecasters say will last until at least Tuesday night.

On Sunday, about half of all flights were delayed into Newark, as well as the Port Authority’s other two airports: LaGuardia and JFK. Nearly 20 percent of flights were canceled, officials said.

The delays and cancellations – and a forecast of stormy weather – continued Monday and Tuesday.

The Port Authority issued a multi-day travel advisory for the region’s airports to kick off the workweek. The East Coast is expected to be at risk of severe weather through “the next few days,” officials said.

All travelers should plan ahead and check the status of their flight with their air carrier before heading to the airport, the Port Authority advised. Read More: Severe Flight Delays At Newark Airport; More Ugly Weather Lurks Ahead

As of 1 p.m. on Tuesday, there were 190 total delays reported at Newark Airport with 361 total cancellations, according to Flight Aware.

The Federal Aviation Administration reports that there is a ground delay in Newark on Tuesday, with departures to the airport delayed an average of 22 minutes.

Here are a few things to keep in mind if you plan on taking a trip through Newark Airport this week – or know someone else who will.

‘THANKS FOR RUINING MY HONEYMOON’

Crowds and long lines continued to be reported Tuesday morning, with some travelers saying they were forced to spend the night at Newark Airport.

“I’ve traveled all over the world for the last 40 years and I’ve never slept on an airport floor – but today may be the day,” a weary passenger told CBS New York.

• See Related: Travelers Spend Night At Newark Airport While Delays, Cancelations Stretch Into Another Day

Several other passengers who got stuck at the airport have been venting on social media. As seen online:

• “Delayed for 6 hours. [Twice] changed schedule. Cancelled the flight in the end. Will miss my work tomorrow. All I can do is … sigh! First time in my 10 years of travel.”
• “Thanks for ruining my honeymoon much appreciated.”

Other passengers criticized their airline’s customer service, blaming it for adding to the general confusion and frustration, as seen in this video shared via Twitter on Monday (Editor’s Note: The video contains explicit language).

“Thousands of people stranded at Newark Airport, flights getting canceled left, right and center,” another Twitter user posted Monday, sharing a video of a long line in the baggage claim area.

“People not being allowed to just get their luggage and leave,” the traveler continued. “The staff keep shouting no retrievals. The line to get your luggage is five-plus hours long.”

Other commuters took shots at United Airlines, which maintains a hub at Newark Airport.

“Please send resources to Newark Airport,” a traveler tweeted to United. “Your customer service line doesn’t work and we’re all sleeping on the floor. Get us out of here.”

“After 42 hours of trying to get to Houston from Newark with our newborn baby, the crew 'forgot to load our bags' and we’ve been sitting for another four hours on the plane,” another commuter reported. “Two cancellations and 42 hours since we first arrived at Newark Airport ... we still can’t catch a break.”

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) contributed to the backlog, writing in a Monday evening letter to employees that the agency “failed us this weekend,” USA Today reported.

According to the letter:

“The FAA reduced the arrival rates by 40% and the departure rates by 75% (on Saturday). That is almost certainly a reflection of understaffing/lower experience at the FAA. It led to massive delays, cancellations [and] diversions, as well as crews and aircraft out of position.”

ON THE HORIZON: WEATHER FORECAST

More severe storms and heavy rain are possible Tuesday after parts of the Garden State were slammed with more than five inches of rain Monday, forecasters with the National Weather Service say.

Between 1 and 3 inches of additional rainfall is expected across the state Tuesday, with showers and thunderstorms slated to develop in the afternoon and evening. Isolated damaging winds, hail and flash flooding are all possible, the weather service said.

Wet weather with scattered storms is expected to linger in the Garden State until at least mid-week, when the daily threat of thunderstorms significantly lowers from Thursday to Sunday.

• See Related: Another Round Of Storms Expected In NJ; Flood Watch Issued

THE RIPPLE EFFECT

Port Authority officials noted that atmospheric conditions such as thunderstorms, lightning and low visibility may affect aircraft performance and impact flights at the origin airport or the destination airport.

“Thunderstorms located even several hundred miles from the New York-New Jersey airspace can significantly reduce the throughput of Port Authority airports,” officials said. “Even a minor storm along a departure or arrival route can change that flight’s route by 50 to 100 miles or more, with associated delays often exceeding 90 minutes.”

IT ‘AINT JUST THE WEATHER…

The weather is causing most of the headaches at Newark Airport this week. But it’s not the only source of delays for passengers, authorities say.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Newark Airport arrested a traveler who tried to bring a handgun onto his flight on Sunday, causing a delay for passengers on one of the most hectic days in the agency’s history, authorities said.

When someone shows up at a checkpoint with a firearm, the lane comes to a standstill until police can resolve the incident, TSA officials said.

Sunday was the ninth-busiest day in the TSA’s history of screening travelers at Newark.

• See Related: Improperly Checked Gun Causes Delay On Hectic Day At Newark Airport

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