Airlines for America announced its support for Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's commitment to modernizing the national air traffic control system and maintaining airspace safety.
Airlines for America (A4A) publicly commended Secretary Duffy for his leadership in addressing the urgent need to modernize the nation's air traffic control infrastructure. In a statement posted on X, A4A highlighted Duffy's commitment to building a new, improved air traffic control system as a critical step toward ensuring the safety and efficiency of the national airspace. This endorsement comes in the wake of recent disruptions, including a significant radar and communications outage at Newark Liberty International Airport, which underscored the vulnerabilities of the aging system.
Secretary Duffy has unveiled a comprehensive plan to overhaul the U.S. air traffic control system, aiming to replace outdated technologies with state-of-the-art infrastructure. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the plan includes replacing antiquated telecommunications with new fiber, wireless, and satellite technologies at over 4,600 sites, installing 25,000 new radios, 475 new voice switches, and replacing 618 radars that have surpassed their life cycles. Additionally, the plan proposes building six new air traffic control centers for the first time since the 1960s.