A troubling alarm has been sounded about a New York metropolitan area airport: “Avoid Newark Airport at all costs.” The source of this statement isn’t an angry passenger or a frustrated union leader, but an on-duty air traffic controller, according to an interview aired by the MSNBC news network. The controller reportedly described the situation as severely compromised in terms of safety, stressing that, as things stand, flying to or from Newark is “not safe.”
The chaos at one of the busiest airports in the United States located in New Jersey, just a few miles from New York City has already prompted United Airlines to cut 35 daily flights. The airline’s CEO, Scott Kirby, denounced what he called a chronic staffing crisis in the control tower, revealing that more than 20% of air traffic controllers have left their posts. Kirby stated that even the Federal Aviation Administration FAA, has acknowledged the airport’s inability to handle the volume of air traffic expected in the coming weeks and months.
FAA has not issued any official comment in response to the report so far, but pressure continues to mount. In a press conference, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy issued an appeal to Americans, encouraging them to pursue a career in air traffic control. He announced new incentives, including a $5,000 bonus for those who complete the training academy. Duffy warned that “cracks are beginning to show in the system,” and that the government must act before a serious and irreversible disaster occurs.
Recruiting qualified professionals for a high-pressure, high-responsibility job with long shifts has long been a challenge. However, the situation has worsened in recent months due to internal political clashes. According to The New York Times, during a closed-door cabinet meeting in March, Duffy accused the Government Efficiency Task Force, led by Elon Musk, of attempting to lay off part of the FAA staff. Musk allegedly called the accusation a “lie,” triggering a heated verbal exchange with the Secretary.
These tensions reflect a broader crisis within the federal agency. Since Donald Trump’s return to the White House, the FAA has once again become a political battleground, amid a series of major incidents and near-misses including a mid-air crash over Washington, D.C. that killed 67 people in January.
Further complicating the picture are the job cuts announced this past February: 400 positions eliminated. Although Duffy has stated that no air traffic controllers or critical safety personnel were affected, the system appears visibly under strain.
Meanwhile, fears are growing among passengers and airlines alike, as the specter of operational paralysis and safety risks becomes increasingly real. Newark Liberty International Airport, once seen as a strategic hub for American mobility, has now become a symbol of crumbling infrastructure. Before the pandemic, it handled more than 46 million passengers annually and was one of the main nodes in the U.S. air traffic network, in 2024 it processed 52.3 million international travelers, a figure that clearly, it is having difficulty in handling.
