Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says Democrats overlooked the report on the FAA.

Transport Secretary Critiques Biden Administration on Air Traffic Control

Transport Secretary Sean Duffy has called attention to what he claims is the Biden administration’s disregard for agency reports detailing the troubling state of the air traffic control system. In a post on X, Duffy referenced a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) titled “Air Traffic Control: FAA Action Is Emergency Needed to Modernize Aging Systems,” published on September 24, 2024.

Duffy stated, “The government’s watchdog has warned Biden and Buttigieg about the failure of the air traffic control system.” He expressed frustration, saying, “Look at this report. They knew the air traffic control system was tense, and they hadn’t done anything yet!”

Additionally, Duffy mentioned that he is collaborating with former President Donald Trump on efforts to modernize the air traffic control system. He said, “In collaboration with @potus, we are trying to do something we don’t control. We deliver a whole new hope for the world’s ATC system.”

The GAO report elaborated that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is “slow to modernize some of the most important and risky systems.” It highlighted that the FAA had 17 systems of particular concern, given their age and sustainability issues.

Duffy’s comments come amid numerous disruptions in U.S. airspace. Newark Liberty International Airport, a crucial travel hub in the New York City area, has experienced hundreds of delays and cancellations recently. For instance, a recent incident involved FAA Air Traffic Controllers in Philadelphia temporarily losing radar and radio signals while directing a plane to Newark.

When appearing on Fox News Channel’s “Story,” Duffy stated that the previous administration was aware of the ongoing issues. He remarked, “It wasn’t shocking for Joe Biden; it wasn’t shocking for Pete Buttigieg. They knew we had an old system. They saw GAO’s report saying it was about to fail.”