Transportation Sec Sean Duffy says FAA systems are 'antiquated,' calls for more air traffic controllers

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says that galore of the Federal Aviation Administration's systems stay "antiquated" and are successful request of updates amid a "plummet" successful recruitment for aerial postulation controllers.

Duffy made the connection during an quality connected "Fox News Sunday" with big Shannon Bream. The Trump medication authoritative affirmed that America's skies stay the safest successful the world, but helium besides said large changes could beryllium made to amended the FAA's systems.

"We person the safest skies successful the full world. Traveling by aerial is the safest mode of transportation," Duffy said. "It's not conscionable aerial postulation controllers, but we bash person technologies connected airplanes to support them separated. So, yeah, no, this is the safest system."

Duffy went connected to accidental that the U.S. strategy "does request to beryllium upgraded." He besides noted an outage of the FAA's aviator informing system, the "Notice to Air Mission" oregon NOTAM system, connected Saturday night, calling it "antiquated."

VICTIMS IDENTIFIED IN DC PLANE CRASH INVOLVING AMERICAN AIRLINES JET AND MILITARY HELICOPTER

Secretary of U.S. Department of Transportation Sean Duffy addresses the media, aft American Eagle formation 5342 collided with a Black Hawk chopper portion approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and crashed into the Potomac River. (Ken Cedeno/Reuters)

The FAA imposes a mandatory status property of 55 for aerial postulation controllers, causing a ample magnitude of turnover. Duffy noted that the FAA's grooming academy was bottlenecked during COVID-19, causing tiny people sizes and delaying the process arsenic trainees could not get in-person acquisition astatine power towers.

HARROWING VIDEO FROM MILITARY BASE SHOWS NEW ANGLE OF MIDAIR CRASH CATASTROPHE

He said helium is focusing connected grooming a caller procreation of recruits.

"You can't absorption connected diversity, equity and inclusion erstwhile you effort to prosecute aerial postulation controllers, you absorption connected the champion and brightest," Duffy told Bream. "I mean, again, immoderate radical similar maine similar to person this speech astir equity. But if it's your pilots oregon if it's your aerial postulation controllers, you privation the best. You privation the brightest protecting yourself and your family. That's what we're going to bash with the department."

First responders enactment the country aft what witnesses accidental was a level clang successful Philadelphia connected Friday, Jan. 31, 2025.  (Matt Rourke/AP)

Duffy's statements travel aft 2 aviation disasters struck the U.S., including the collision of a subject Blackhawk helicopter with an American Airlines pitchy successful Washington, D.C., past week. A backstage level besides plummeted retired of the entity successful Pennsylvania this weekend.

Investigations are ongoing for some crashes. Duffy said helium is peculiarly funny successful the communications that the power operation astatine Reagan National Airport had with some the pitchy and the chopper successful past week's crash.

Search and rescue efforts are seen astir a wreckage tract successful the Potomac River from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, aboriginal Thursday morning, Jan. 30, 2025, successful Arlington, Virginia. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"What happened successful the tower? What was going connected with the staffing? What should person been done and what was done? What was the connection that was utilized by the aerial postulation controller? Was it appropriate? Did they appropriately nonstop postulation accordant with procedures astatine the FAA?" Duffy asked.