Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Wednesday (30) harshly criticized the United States' air traffic control system.
Duffy raised concerns about the US's current air traffic control infrastructure during a televised cabinet meeting after President Donald Trump said he would ask Congress for funding for the new system.
“If we don’t build a completely new system, there will be failures and people will lose their lives,” Duffy said.
Trump blamed former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for failing to adequately modernize air traffic controller towers during the Biden istration.
“This Buttigieg guy has done a horrible job. They’ve wasted billions and billions of dollars,” Trump said, adding that “a third grader would know it doesn’t work.”
The Federal Aviation istration (FAA) has been working for years to modernize its air traffic management system to improve safety and efficiency. The program, known as “NextGen,” has specific goals for the FAA to achieve, but its implementation has been slow.
In addition to slow implementation, the FAA faces problems recruiting and retaining air traffic controllers.
Troubles at the FAA have escalated since a commercial airliner collided with a Black Hawk in January, killing all 67 people on both aircraft.
“Our system is safe, but you would think someone would realize there was a problem with fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters coming into DCA,” Duffy said. Trump claimed a new system would have prevented the deadly crash.
Duffy said Congress would need help to fund the new system, which he said would be “the envy of the world.”
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is considering a proposal to allocate $12,5 billion through 2029 to replace aging air traffic control facilities, including control towers, radar systems and telecommunications infrastructure, as well as $1 billion to hire air traffic controllers.
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Raytheon Technologies and IBM could win the contract to modernize the U.S. air traffic control system.
“We have very outdated air traffic control equipment,” Trump said during a White House cabinet meeting, adding that there are five companies that could do the job. “We want to install a completely new air traffic control system.”
