Over the past two weeks, several equipment outages at the Philadelphia-based air traffic control center that guides planes to and from Newark Liberty International Airport, have raised questions on just how safe it is to fly at one of the nation’s busiest airports.

United Airlines is facing a financial hit and potential long-term reputational harm as flight delays and cancellations pile up due to ongoing disruptions at Newark airport - one of its largest hubs and among the busiest in the country.

The award-winning new Terminal A may be the pride of Newark Liberty International Airport. But behind the scenes, the technology that’s keeping the planes in the sky is frighteningly out of date. Some of it relies on floppy discs and used parts sourced from eBay, federal officials said this week.

The Federal Aviation Administration said on Sunday that a new telecommunications issue at the facility that guides aircraft at Newark Liberty International Airport forced the agency to briefly slowed aircraft in and out of the airport.

Delays for flights waiting to take off for Newark Liberty International Airport averaged about 19 minutes, Monday morning, according to an advisory from the FAA.