Air traffic controllers in Philadelphia were guiding planes to Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey last week when communications suddenly crashed. “Approach, are you there?” one pilot asked the controller.

The Federal Aviation Administration says some air traffic controllers were taking time off to destress from recent equipment and telecommunications outages.

For a week and counting, flying in and out of Newark Airport has inflicted misery on travelers. The cancellations and  delays have been caused by a cascade of infrastructure failures and staffing