Aging Newark Liberty Airport radar replaced under $12.5 billion FAA upgrade plan
This is part of a 12.5 billion dollar plan to upgrade airports nationwide.
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New radar equipment is being installed at Newark Liberty International Airport as part of a nationwide effort to modernize the nation's air traffic control system.
The radar equipment, which dates back to the 1970s, is being replaced with new technology mounted atop a communications tower near the airport.
The project is part of a $12.5 billion plan to upgrade airport infrastructure across the country.
Workers used a crane to hoist the new radar equipment into place Tuesday. The system will now undergo additional work before being placed into service for air traffic controllers.
Officials say the radar helps controllers track aircraft and vehicles on the ground, particularly during bad weather or at night when visibility is limited.
The upgrades come after two communications outages last year that temporarily prevented air traffic controllers from communicating with pilots, causing delays and cancellations.
The FAA says new technology is being installed in all 50 states, with similar radar systems planned for 44 airports nationwide.
"This is a 30-year-old box. We can't maintain it. They don't build it, they don't supply replacement parts for it anymore," the FAA administrator said.
Staffing has also been a focus for the agency.
The FAA says it has recently hired 4,000 air traffic controllers, with another 1,000 currently in training and nearing certification.
