A 2-year-old boy was briefly swept away on a baggage conveyor belt at Newark Liberty International Airport last week, in an unsettling incident that has added to growing concerns over safety and operations at the busy travel hub, New York Post reports.
According to reports from Pix 11, the child, visiting from Staten Island, managed to climb onto the low conveyor belt in Terminal A while his mother was occupied rebooking a flight with a JetBlue employee. The belt, typically used by passengers to check in luggage before flights, carried the toddler through the system and down a chute into the luggage screening area.
Two Port Authority officers quickly responded after being alerted to the situation. Acting swiftly, they entered different sections of the conveyor system to locate the child. One officer found the boy — unharmed — near an X-ray machine and removed him before he could be exposed to any further risk.
The family continued their trip to Tampa, Florida, after the ordeal. Fortunately, the incident ended safely, but it highlights persistent operational and safety concerns at Newark Liberty International.
The airport has faced a series of troubling episodes in recent months. Air traffic disruptions, equipment failures, and staffing shortages have plagued the facility. A significant incident on April 28 left air traffic controllers without radar and communication for nearly 90 seconds, prompting delays and multiple trauma leaves among FAA staff. A similar outage occurred in November.
New Jersey health officials also recently issued a warning about a potential measles exposure at Terminal B, adding to the scrutiny over public health preparedness at the airport.
Described by some critics as a “delay-plagued” and overburdened facility, Newark Airport has struggled to manage its growing traffic. Some experts now recommend permanently reducing daily flight volume and shifting toward larger aircraft to ease congestion. However, there is no quick fix in sight.
