Transportation Secretary Duffy Announces Upcoming Major Overhaul of Air Traffic Control
“This has been an ongoing issue for decades, and we are committed to resolving it,” Duffy stated.
On May 5, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced plans for a “radical transformation” of America’s air traffic control, driven by recent safety incidents that highlight the outdated technology and its impact on travelers.
“We are set to radically alter the landscape of air traffic control,” Duffy emphasized.
“We will be constructing a brand new air traffic control system, integrating new telecommunications, radars, and infrastructure. We are also onboarding new air traffic controllers.
“This has been a long-standing issue, and we are determined to address it.”
Duffy pointed to an incident on April 28 at Newark Liberty International Airport, where air traffic controllers lost contact with all aircraft for 30 seconds due to a failure in a critical communication line and its backup system.
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“Were there threats of crashes? No. Planes have communication systems and can track other aircraft via GPS. However, this highlights the fragility of our system, which needs immediate attention,” the Secretary noted.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), which represents air traffic controllers, confirmed the incident in a statement to The Epoch Times, mentioning that several employees are on leave due to the trauma experienced.
“The dedicated, hardworking individuals who serve as controllers are the backbone of our air traffic control system,” stated the union.
“This underscores why NATCA fully supports Secretary Sean Duffy’s initiatives to enhance and modernize our nation’s air traffic control infrastructure.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) acknowledged that multiple controllers at the Philadelphia TRACON, responsible for managing Newark Airport operations, are currently on leave to recover from the stress caused by recent outages.
“While we cannot swiftly replace controllers due to the specialized nature of the profession, we are actively training new controllers who will eventually take on roles in this busy airspace,” the FAA conveyed in a statement to The Epoch Times.
Both systems that failed last week have been repaired, Duffy confirmed, but authorities have decided to limit traffic at Newark Airport. Duffy described this decision like a driver moderating speed after a windshield becomes obscured.
“So, we have reduced traffic at Newark. There is an ongoing runway construction, and our primary objective is to ensure passenger safety,” Duffy elaborated.
“After incidents like this, it’s essential to prioritize safety,” he added. “As a result, there will be fewer departures from the airport until we are confident that the system is stable and secure.”
The FAA confirmed the traffic reduction at Newark in its statement regarding the incident and assured that they would keep the public informed as they continue to address these challenges.
While air traffic controller shortages have persisted for years, especially following many retirements during the COVID-19 pandemic, these shortages contributed to the call for increased funding for the FAA ahead of the FAA Reauthorization Act passed last year.
Recent safety events have also brought renewed attention to this issue, particularly following a fatal midair collision near Washington earlier this year.
In January, an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with a commercial jet, leading to the deaths of all 67 individuals aboard both aircraft. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed that only a single air traffic controller was responsible for managing radio frequencies for both helicopters and planes during the incident.
While this staffing decision is not uncommon, the NTSB noted that it typically occurs later in the evening, whereas the controller had been assigned to both shifts earlier than usual on that day.
“We’re still using outdated technology like floppy disks. Our current systems include headphone jacks that need constant plugging and unplugging. Think back to the 1980s, or earlier if you were around. That’s what we rely on for air traffic control,” Duffy remarked.
“While it’s functional and safe, it’s essential to upgrade our systems before any potential loss of life occurs due to technological failures.”
In its statement regarding the Newark incident, the FAA acknowledged that America’s “outdated air traffic control framework is impacting our workforce.”
“We must provide our controllers with the best safety technology available as swiftly as possible,” the agency emphasized.
“We are focused on improving the reliability of current telecommunications equipment in the New York area by establishing a more resilient and redundant configuration with local exchange carriers.”
