US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy stated on Wednesday that without urgent investment in the country’s ageing air traffic control system, loss of life would be inevitable. Duffy highlighted that the system still operates using “floppy disks, copper wires, and outdated computers”, and explained that the inadequate infrastructure has been causing flight delays and cancellations.
His remarks followed former President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would request new funding from Congress to modernise the air traffic control system. Trump also blamed former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for the failure of improvements made under the Biden administration, claiming that the spending amounted to “billions of dollars wasted”.
Duffy’s comments have intensified concerns in the wake of the tragic incident in January, in which 67 people lost their lives when a commercial aircraft collided with a Black Hawk helicopter.
The FAA’s “NextGen” programme, which aims to modernise air traffic control, has been ongoing for years, but progress has been slow, with significant challenges in both recruiting and retaining air traffic controllers. These issues have led to serious safety vulnerabilities in US airspace.
