United Airlines Grows at Newark, Adding New Routes, 2,500 Jobs

At Newark Liberty International Airport, United Airlines will add 2,500 workers by 2026. The news came as the company hit peak summer numbers. Right now, 14,000 staff work in the Newark and NYC region.

“Newark is operating better than ever, and United’s future here is bright,” said United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby, according to Patch.com. “As the FAA and DOT implement their plan of increased staffing and improved technology, the reliability and on-time performance of Newark will only get better.”

Summer brought 6 million flyers through Newark on United’s planes, a new record. The airline beat both JFK and LaGuardia in on-time arrivals during these months.

Spring 2025 brought big problems to Newark’s air traffic control. The site ran with just 24 certified controllers instead of 38. A radar and radio blackout on April 28 sent five controllers on extended leave, making things worse.

To fix overcrowding, officials cut back flights from 86 to 68 per hour in May. Next summer should see 72 flights hourly. Kirby told CNN: “We’ve been begging the FAA to put slot controls on Newark for my entire career. When you have more flights than the FAA can handle at an airport, it leads to delays.”

New Jersey’s top official backed the changes. “Over the past several months, we have worked diligently with our partners at the Port Authority and the FAA to move towards a return to full capacity at Newark Airport, and I am pleased with our progress,” Murphy said in a statement to CNN.

Workers fixed the runway two weeks early, wrapping up June 2. New fiber cables now make radar and radio more stable.

Fresh routes will link Newark to Rome, Venice, Porto, Marrakesh, and Dublin. Within the U.S., planes will fly to Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Springs, Columbia, South Carolina, and Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Newark will see its first green jet fuel use through United. The airline plans to buy one million gallons from Neste this year. In 2024, United bought 13 million gallons of sustainable fuel, leading all U.S. carriers.

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