United Airlines has cut several flights from Boston’s Logan Airport in the wake of new federal restrictions on air travel through Newark Liberty International Airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday issued an order limiting Newark to a maximum of 56 flights per hour until June 15, a more than 30% decrease from the 80-plus hourly departures and arrivals previously allowed. The plan is a direct response to a series of technological issues — including radio and radar outages, air traffic control staffing shortages and runway construction — that caused major delays and cancellations at the airport in recent weeks.
Previously, Logan averaged 10 daily nonstop flights to Newark, a United Airlines hub. That number has since dropped. The airline recently removed 10 flights that had been scheduled in May, according to Jennifer Mehigan, a spokesperson for Massport, which owns and operates Logan Airport.
Mehigan said she could not confirm whether the cancellations were a result of the new FAA directive. United did not respond to a request for comment.
Delta Airlines also operates nonstop flights from Logan to Newark, and so far has not modified its service between the airports. Delta has not responded to GBH News’ request for comment about any potential changes.
According to Massport, Logan is planning to increase the number of flights to Newark to 12 daily for the peak summer travel period between June and August. Mehigan declined to comment on whether the cap on Newark flights would affect those plans.
In mid-June, the FAA’s limit on flights at Newark could be eased after runway construction largely wraps up and air traffic controllers that have been on trauma leave since an April 28 radar and radio outage return to work. After that, federal officials have said they may be able to increase the limit to 78 daily flights.
“Our goal is to relieve the substantial inconvenience to the traveling public from excessive flight delays due to construction, staffing challenges, and recent equipment issues, which magnify as they spread through the National Airspace System,” acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau said in a statement.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has warned that the issues plaguing Newark could be a bellwether for other airports as the busy summer travel period approaches.
“The sirens are turning,” he said in a recent interview on “Meet the Press.” “What you see in Newark is gonna happen in other places across the country.”
While Newark sees millions more travelers annually than Logan and has a particularly acute staffing crisis, Logan is preparing for similar challenges, according to Massport’s Jennifer Mehigan.
“Newark’s issues seemed to be a number of factors including weather and construction,” she said in an email.
“Logan will also have some major construction happening over the summer, as will many other major airports, and weather (especially quick hitting thunderstorms) often causes delays and cancellations. We are prepared to keep passengers updated and respond to operational issues when they arise.”
