FAA investigating Denver radio outage amid Newark problems
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The Federal Aviation Administration control tower at Denver International Airport in 2017. Photo: George Rose/Getty Images
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a Monday failure of air traffic controllers' radio at Denver International Airport — one of the world's busiest airports, per an FAA statement.
Why it matters: It's the latest in a string of alarming tech and safety lapses nationwide that's shaking confidence in the U.S. aviation network.
The latest: Around 1:50pm Monday, a segment of the Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center lost communications for approximately 90 seconds when both primary transmitters went down, the FAA confirmed Thursday in a statement to Axios Denver.
- Air traffic controllers switched to an alternate frequency to direct planes.
- The FAA said all aircraft remained safely separated and operations weren't affected.
- Still, Denver7 reports as many as 20 aircraft flying toward DIA couldn't reach controllers for up to six minutes.
By the numbers: Assuming the planes were traveling at a groundspeed of 200 knots, they would have covered 20 miles without ATC contact in those six minutes.
Between the lines: As of 2023, DIA's air traffic control tower was short seven controllers, and the facility that guides planes in the surrounding area was down 10, a recent FAA report shows.
The big picture: The incident adds Denver to a growing list of major U.S. airports grappling with technology failures in the air traffic control system — an increasingly urgent concern amid a post-pandemic travel boom.
- The FAA has blamed recent mishaps on aging infrastructure and critical staffing shortages.
- Last week, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy unveiled a multi-billion-dollar modernization plan aimed at upgrading outdated systems and improving reliability.
What they're saying: On Wednesday, DIA officials told Axios Denver: "We enjoy a strong partnership with the FAA and have full confidence in knowing that they put safety first in everything they do related to operations" at DIA.
- They declined to comment on Duffy's plan.
What's next: The FAA emphasized its findings are preliminary and said the investigation is ongoing.
Go deeper: Colorado's significant air traffic controller shortages
Editor's note: This is a breaking story. Please check back for additional details.