Fight Against Airport Chaos Starts Here

A look inside the tower in Newark where rapid-fire calls on delayed flights, luggage, crews and more happen all day long

- ALLISON POHLE

On the Friday before Christmas, Flight 1080 to San Jose, Costa Rica, returns to the gate with a mechanical issue.

The only available replacement sits across the airport. Moving passengers would mean telling vacationers to switch terminals. Baggage-loaders would need to transport luggage across the airport, potentially making them late to service other flights. The crew would need to move, too.

United Airlines operations staff-customer service, ramp services and the move team-quickly decide to tow the new plane to the travelers. Passengers wait an hour longer than they might have if the plane stayed put, but don't have to schlep their belongings across the airport.

"The ops center is the center of a spider web," says Michael Pacheco, a director in United's station operations center. If you touch one part of the web-maintenance, baggage, catering-you affect all parts.

For years, Newark has been a source of delays due to a shortage of air-traffic controllers, crowded skies and bad weather. When the controllers are understaffed, fewer flights operate each hour.

The shortages are particularly difficult for United, which makes up about 75% of Newark's air traffic. When travelers have a bad experience with a delay or long wait on the tarmac, they might blame United.

Getting operations right is mission-critical, especially during a record-setting time for holiday travel. Air-traffic control staffing shortages in Newark led to delays on 15 days in November, the airline says.

The airline is making adjustments. It's using a new app to coordinate several wings of its logistical operation. It's also increasing how many flights it sends out and back.

Most delays nationwide are caused by weather or airline operations, the Federal Aviation Administration says. It says hiring more airtraffic controllers is a priority.