FAA extends Newark flight cap to 2026, raises hourly limit

Published on Sep 26, 2025, 3:31 pm CDT

5 min read

The Federal Aviation Administration will extend arrival and departure limits at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) through October 24, 2026. The final order lifts the combined cap from 68 to 72 movements per hour beginning October 26, 2025, aligning schedules with real-world capacity while construction and technology work continue. United Airlines, EWR's largest carrier, backed the decision, with CEO Scott Kirby saying Newark is "running better than ever" under right-sized schedules.

Key points

Why it matters: Caps have reduced delays at one of the nation's most congested hubs.
Travel impact: Hourly limit rises to 72 on October 26, 2025, then holds through October 24, 2026.
What's next: FAA tech upgrades and staffing gains aim to harden resilience before caps sunset.
Weekend closures persist on Runway 4L-22R during ongoing construction.
Philadelphia TRACON now has a STARS hub and fiber link to bolster Newark operations.

Snapshot

Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) will remain under FAA schedule management through late 2026, but with modest relief. The cap increases to 72 hourly operations on October 26, 2025, a step designed to preserve on-time performance while restoring limited capacity. FAA resilience work includes a new fiber-optic communications network between New York and Philadelphia TRACON, a temporary satellite backup, and establishing a STARS hub at Philadelphia to reduce dependence on New York systems. FAA says Area C at Philadelphia TRACON, which handles EWR flows, is fully staffed. United, Newark's anchor carrier, publicly praised the extension and incremental increase, arguing that aligning schedules to realistic capacity improved reliability across fall and winter peaks. Travelers should still expect periodic constraints during construction windows and peak weather days.

Background

The FAA first tightened EWR operations after a series of technology outages and chronic controller shortages led to extensive delays and cancellations. An order effective June 2025 set a combined 68-per-hour limit while the agency tackled infrastructure, staffing, and construction-related bottlenecks. Since then, FAA and partners advanced several fixes, including fiber connectivity between TRACON facilities and contingency measures to keep traffic flowing during outages. Construction continues to constrain capacity, notably weekend closures on Runway 4L-22R. The Port Authority's airfield work, paired with FAA modernization, informed the decision to extend limits while allowing a four-per-hour increase beginning late October 2025. The agency frames the move as a balance between demand and sustainable operations across the New York metro, where caps have also been used at John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia.

Latest developments

FAA nudges hourly limit while keeping schedule management in place

The final order raises EWR's combined arrivals and departures to 72 per hour starting October 26, 2025, holding that level through October 24, 2026. FAA officials say the incremental increase reflects progress on staffing and systems, yet acknowledges persistent constraints from construction and Northeast airspace complexity. United Airlines publicly endorsed the plan, with CEO Scott Kirby thanking Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, and crediting the policy for Newark's improved performance. FAA notes additional resiliency via a new fiber-optic backbone between New York and Philadelphia TRACON, a temporary satellite backup, and a STARS automation hub at Philadelphia so EWR traffic is not reliant on New York data feeds. Philadelphia TRACON's Area C, which sequences Newark flows, is now fully staffed.

Analysis

For travelers, the most important takeaway is predictability. The cap extension avoids the whiplash of over-scheduling during peak seasons while unlocking a measured four-flight-per-hour increase from late October 2025. That amounts to roughly 60 to 80 additional daily movements on a full operating day, which can absorb some demand without reviving gridlock. The decision also buys time for FAA's resilience work to mature. Fiber-optic links reduce single-point failures across facilities, the STARS hub at Philadelphia localizes radar and track data, and a satellite backup offers contingency if terrestrial circuits falter. Fully staffing Area C at Philadelphia TRACON should improve flow management during pop-up weather or runway closures. The remaining risk is construction, especially recurring weekend closures on Runway 4L-22R, which will continue to pinch capacity during busy departure banks. Travelers should build buffer time, book earlier flights when possible, and monitor carrier waivers on weather-threat days. For fall and winter, Newark's reliability should remain better than pre-order levels, provided airlines keep schedules aligned with the 72-per-hour cap.

Looking for day-of constraints and delay programs? See the FAA daily air traffic report: September 26, 2025.

Final thoughts

Extending the cap through October 24, 2026, while lifting Newark to 72 hourly movements strikes a pragmatic balance between demand and deliverable capacity. With construction still limiting the airfield, and Northeast airspace among the country's most complex, the incremental approach keeps reliability gains intact. FAA's tech upgrades, staffing stabilization at Philadelphia TRACON, and redundancy measures should further harden operations over the next 12 months. If on-time performance holds, EWR's competitiveness in the New York market improves without sacrificing schedule realism. For now, travelers can expect steadier operations under the Newark flight cap.