The runway at Newark airport closed for rehabilitation reopened today, Monday, June 2 for regular operations, 13 days ahead of schedule, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) announced. The Port Authority continues to support the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in its efforts to return capacity to the airport.
The $121 million rehabilitation scope for Runway 4L-22R began in early March and was scheduled to conclude June 15. The work included milling and repaving the surface and improving lighting and drainage as well as installing new underground electrical infrastructure. The scheduled project was required to meet the latest FAA safety and design standards. Newark has three runways.
Due to staffing and operational challenges impacting air traffic control, the Port Authority worked to accelerate the construction schedule by bringing in additional crews, expanding shifts, and enabling construction to take place 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Air traffic controller shortages, technology and communication glitches and the runway mishap forced the FAA to reduce the number of flights. Right now, 56 arrivals and departures can take off every hour, a reduction from the normal 77. From June 15 through Oct. 15, flights per hour will increase to 68.
The FAA’s action followed a series of telecom and radar outages at Philadelphia TRACON, which oversees Newark’s airspace. The agency worked with United, Delta, JetBlue, American, Alaska, Spirit, and Allegiant, to adjust flight schedules in line with current capacity at Newark.
See also: Here’s What To Know About Newark Air Traffic Control, Reduced Flights, General Chaos
“I commend the crews who have worked tirelessly to get this critical project done ahead of schedule,” said Gov. Phil Murphy. “I’m grateful for New Jersey’s partnership with the Port Authority and the FAA as we work to return to full capacity at Newark Airport. New Jersey will do all we can to support plans from the USDOT to invest in modernizing our air traffic control system and fully staffing our air traffic controllers.”
Runway Work
Runways are typically repaved every 10 years. The 11,000-foot-long Runway 4L-22R was last rehabilitated in 2014 and was showing significant signs of wear. This rehabilitation project involves milling and paving the runway surface, updating lighting, improving airfield signs with LED lighting, , and implementing drainage improvements.
“Thank you to the Port Authority for their partnership and hard work in getting Newark’s runway rebuilt ahead of schedule. Great job!” said U.S Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “As we approach the busy summer travel season, this key milestone puts us on a path to further reducing congestion, enhancing safety, and ensuring a seamless travel experience. With the runway completed, we’ll continue our work to harden the telecoms infrastructure and improving the staffing pipeline for the airspace.”
Modernization Plans for Air Traffic Control Infrastructure
Earlier last month, Duffy announced plans to build a new air traffic control system that will replace the current infrastructure. The FAA will oversee this initiative, which U.S Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. Planned are major updates to communications, surveillance, automation, and physical facilities are planned to address system outages, equipment age, and operational efficiency.
Duffy said it’s a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a brand new, state-of-the-art air traffic control system” and replace neglected, obsolete equipment. The time to rectify this situation is now, he said, calling it an economic and national security necessity
Investments in Newark Airport
Newark Liberty’s second main runway, the neighboring 4R-22L, was last rehabilitated in 2021. That project included a 60-day full closure of runway 4R-22L with minimal disruption to airport operations.
The Port Authority’s multi-billion-dollar investment in Newark Liberty has included airside improvements in runway rehabilitation and taxiway enhancement projects. The award-winning new Terminal A opened in 2023; initial work has begun toward building a new modern AirTrain Newark system; and the EWR Vision Plan was unveiled last year, a comprehensive reimagining of the entire airport complete with modern terminals and infrastructure, a more intuitive airport roadway network, and a redesigned taxiway network to accommodate more aircraft and reduce delays, the PANYNJ said.
Travelers Flying In and Out of Newark Airport
The number of permitted take-offs and landings at EWR are scheduled to increase from 28 to 34 per hour due to the early completion of the runway rehabilitation. There is a partial service reduction for the airtrain system June 3-4 and June 14-15.
The latest information on flights and airport operations can be found on the FAA’s website at fly.faa.gov. The FAA also tracks expected average delays at airports across the nation at nasstatus.faa.gov and nasstatus.faa.gov/list.
A recent poll commissioned by The Points Guy and conducted by the Harris Poll showed that 65 percent of Americans said they are more nervous about flying because of recent incidents.
United Airline CEO Scott Kirby said in an opinion piece that neither the FAA nor United will ever compromise on safety. United also emailed its customers with a link to a video with Miles Morgan, managing director of flight training for the airline.
“It is absolutely safe to fly,” he says in the video.
April Flights Among Busiest for Commercial Airlines
Commercial airlines saw one of their busiest April ever, but a 2 percent decline from April 2024, the agency’s busiest April on record. The drop this year was due to flight cancellations at Newark Liberty International Airport due to Federal Aviation Administration air traffic control issues, the PANYNJ said.
International travel demand continued to show resilience with 4.3 million such passengers in April 2025. This outpaced the prior record for the month of 4.28 million passengers set in April 2024.
Over the first four months of the year, the Port Authority’s commercial airports welcomed approximately 43.8 million passengers. This was a decline of 1.5 percent from the same period of 2024, which was the busiest first quarter on record for the agency’s airports.
