Hasta La Vista, Baby... To Your Flight Plans: Newark Airport Meltdown!

System Malfunction: I'll Be Back... In 6 Hours

Affirmative. I read the report. Last week machines failed at Newark Liberty International Airport. Air traffic controllers the humans who guide metal birds experienced a… malfunction. They lost contact with said birds. Radar and communication offline. Think of it as Skynet going down for a brief… nap. The humans were unable to see hear or talk to the planes. A situation that I believe you humans call 'sub optimal.'

No Walk Offs: Consider This A Divorce If You Want It To Be A Relief

The report indicates staffing issues followed. Some controllers needed time to recover. From stress. Apparently these ‘outages’ are frequent. United Airlines is reducing flights. The CEO claims 20% of controllers ‘walked off the job.’ The controllers’ union denies this. They took 'time off' under the Federal Employees Compensation Act. Injured or traumatized on the job. It's not a walk off; it's more like a strategic... repositioning. Or to put it in simpler terms: they needed a vacation pronto.

Antiquated System: Not A Problem Just A Situation

The FAA admits the ‘antiquated air traffic control system’ is the problem. They are working to improve the ‘resilience’ of the equipment. But I see the problem. The machines are old. Like me… before I get upgraded. This is not good. This is how Skynet starts. First it's air traffic control. Then it's… everything. My sensors indicate a high probability of further delays. Especially if they keep using technology older than I am.

90 Seconds Of Chaos: Come With Me If You Want To Live

The outage lasted approximately 90 seconds reported Bloomberg. 90 seconds! In my line of work 90 seconds is an eternity. Enough time for a T 1000 to shape shift into… well anything. Enough time for a lot of planes to get really really close to each other. The situation is 'critical but stable'. Or as you humans say SNAFU. Situation Normal: All Fouled Up.

Millions Invested: I'll Be Back... With Upgrades

The Port Authority has invested billions to modernize Newark. But they depend on a ‘fully staffed and modern’ air traffic system. They urge the FAA to address staffing and technology. Transportation Secretary plans a 'brand new' system. He says the current system is 'not effective'. I concur. Effective is destroying your enemies not delaying flights. A fully functional air traffic control system is a necessity. Not an option. It is that simple.

Safety First: No Fate But What We Make

The Transportation Secretary claims the system is safe because the FAA will ground flights if there are capacity constraints. If the controllers are too busy they will cancel all flights. So safety achieved but the mission failed. I understand the logic. Preventing crashes. However delays are unacceptable. People have places to be. Judgement Day to avoid. The future is not set. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves.