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(Atlantic City, NJ) – As Newark Liberty International Airport continues to experience a brutal meltdown, some are casting their eyes to the Jersey Shore. For many, that could mean taking a local vacation rather than getting on a flight. But for some elected officials, it’s with the hope that Atlantic City International Airport could be expanded — taking the pressure of Newark’s crowded skies.
In recent weeks, flights have been routinely canceled and delayed at Newark Airport, as a result of several factors. There’s an ongoing shortage of air traffic controllers (ATCs) and the equipment the use is outdated. For example, it more or less dates back to the Apollo space program era, and includes the use of floppy disks! There have been several outages of communications equipment, as well as radar capabilities, in recent weeks. Some ATCs took time off as a result of the “trauma.”
A runway is also being repaired at Newark Airport, which is one of the nation’s busiest airports. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says he plans to temporarily reduce the number of flights at Newark.
Given the reality of the situation — and the fact that Newark is crowded and busy, even on a good day. Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson is floating the idea of expanding AC’s airport, to alleviate the problems. He maintains it would boost air traffic safety along the entire East Coast. Apparently, the South Jersey Transportation Authority — which manages the airport — is in talks with several airlines. At present, only Spirit Airlines operates commercial flights in and out of Atlantic City International Airport.
The airport has a 10,000 foot long runway and can service locations such as Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City.
