An air traffic controller at Newark Liberty International Airport reportedly warned the major travel hub is “not safe” for travelers.

“It is not safe. It is not a safe situation right now for the flying public,” the air traffic controller reportedly told NBC News correspondent Tom Costello, according to the New York Post.

“Don’t fly into Newark. Avoid Newark at all costs,” he reportedly added.

From the New York Post:

The airport, which served 49 million travelers in 2024 and is the second busiest in the New York City area, has been drowning in delays and cancellations for days.

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Federal Aviation Administration has blamed a shortage of air traffic controllers at the airport, along with runway construction.

Newark has lost 20% of its air controllers in recent weeks, according to United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby, who issued a statement Friday claiming they had “walked off the job.”

The situation has grown so dire that United Airlines — which uses the airport as its primary East Coast hub — announced it was cancelling 35 roundtrip flights daily, saying it was necessary “in order to protect our customers.”

“This particular air traffic control facility has been chronically understaffed for years and without these controllers, it‘s now clear — and the FAA tells us — that Newark airport cannot handle the number of planes that are scheduled to operate there in the weeks and months ahead,” Kirby said.

And last week, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy issued a plea for more air traffic controllers – offering $5,000 bonuses for new hires and warning that the system was beginning to deteriorate.

“Air travel nightmare. Total meltdown at Newark Liberty Airport. 8 hours to get baggage. 12 hours on the tarmac. Travelers delayed for days. Aviation experts say be prepared for this to keep happening,” ABC7 NY reporter CeFaan Kim said.

WATCH:

Per The U.S. Sun:

A spokesperson for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said in a statement to The U.S. Sun on behalf of Newark airport: “The Port Authority has invested billions to modernize Newark Liberty, but those improvements depend on a fully staffed and modern federal air traffic system.

“We continue to urge the FAA to address ongoing staffing shortages and accelerate long-overdue technology upgrades that continue to cause delays in the nation’s busiest air corridor,” the spokesperson said.

Newark airport operates an average of about 1,000 round-trip flights per day.

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Kirby detailed the issues that United Airlines sees at the New Jersey travel hub.

“Technology that FAA air traffic controllers rely on to manage the airplanes coming in and out of Newark airport failed, resulting in dozens of diverted flights, hundreds of delayed and canceled flights, and worst of all, thousands of customers with disrupted travel plans,” he said.

 

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