On Monday, Transport Secretary Sheen Duffy criticized the Biden administration for not tackling the outdated infrastructure at airports. He mentioned last week that he played a role in stopping radar and communication operations at Newark Liberty International Airport.
“Our infrastructure is really aging in America,” Duffy stated during his conversation with Fox News host Laura Ingraham. “It hasn’t seen updates for the past 30 to 40 years.”
He argued that these issues should have been dealt with during the previous administration, implying that they took no action.
Duffy hinted at a significant announcement regarding an air traffic control initiative set for Thursday. Newark Airport has received over $170 million in federal funds for various improvements, including “runways, safety projects, terminals, and transportation connections.”
However, on April 28, a power outage caused by fried copper wire disrupted radar and communication for air traffic controllers at one of the busiest airports in the New York area.
The chaos resulted in hundreds of flight cancellations and thousands of delays. Duffy noted, “The main communications failed, and we lost contact with air traffic control for about 30 seconds.”
“Was there a plane crash? No, they do have equipment that maintains visibility of other air traffic,” he added. “But this incident demonstrates how fragile our system actually is and that it requires attention.”
Duffy mentioned he won’t proceed from Newark until he feels confident that both communication lines are stable and safe.
The former House member expressed a desire to involve “all airlines” operating out of Newark in the efforts to reduce congestion.
He assured that he would address the infrastructure concerns that have led to the current disruptions, promising a transformation in the air traffic control sector. “We’re aiming to completely overhaul our air traffic control framework,” he stated. “We plan to implement new systems for communications, radars, and overall infrastructure.”
“This has been an issue for decades, and we are committed to resolving it,” Duffy affirmed. He also mentioned that President Trump has a keen interest in air traffic and that he had “acquired” the upcoming plans to be revealed on Thursday.
