Operations at United Airline's massive hub at Newark Liberty International airport have stabilised following a sharp reduction in daily air traffic mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration.

A veteran air traffic controller who was alone during the terrifying 90-second blackout at Newark Liberty International Airport refuses to fly out of the travel hub anymore — saying it’s “only a matter of time” before there’s a “fatal crash.

Amid dire conditions at the airport, an airline operations crew has had to figure out how to get more than 600 flights a day to take off and land without incident.

Air traffic controllers at Newark Liberty International Airport again lost contact with planes Monday, according to the FAA. It's the fourth such incident at that airport in less than a month and the latest in a string of alarming incidents and close calls at airports across the country.

As the Memorial Day holiday weekend gets underway, US voyagers are girding for a bumpy ride as heavy summer travel volumes test the nation's overworked air traffic system. Travelers at Newark Liberty International Airport said this week they were resigned to delays but not worried about safety.