Transportation secretary reassures public about air travel safety after deadly crash: 'Safest form of travel'

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reassured the American nationalist that aerial question is harmless successful the aftermath of a deadly D.C. level crash past week that killed much than 60 radical and a level clang successful Philadelphia that near 7 radical dead.

Duffy, a erstwhile FOX Business co-host, told "The Ingraham Angle" Monday that aerial question is the safest signifier of question successful the country, and if the airspace weren’t safe, the Federal Aviation Administration would unopen it down.

"Air question is the safest signifier of question successful the country. So you tin question and consciousness bully astir it connected American airplanes," helium said. 

"This is the safest mode of transportation, and again, I deliberation we should recognize that arsenic a public, but past besides request that we can't basal to person these crashes. These are unacceptable."

Emergency workers retrieve debris from the Potomac River successful the aftermath of the collision of American Eagle formation 5342 and a Black Hawk helicopter, arsenic seen from Virginia, Jan. 30, 2025.  (REUTERS/Carlos Barria)

The National Transportation Safety Board is inactive investigating what went incorrect aft an Army Black Hawk chopper collided with an American Airlines pitchy adjacent Reagan National Airport precocious Wednesday night.

Duffy said the bureau volition prioritize information implicit the environment, societal justness and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.  

TRUMP HAS TENSE EXCHANGE WITH CNN REPORTER OVER BLAMING DEI POLICIES IN PLANE CRASH

President Donald Trump suggested past week without grounds that DEI hiring practices could person played a relation successful the crash. Investigators are still piecing information unneurotic arsenic they enactment to supply victims’ families with answers.

Duffy told Fox News big Laura Ingraham that staffing is "too short" and the bureau mislaid a batch of aerial postulation controllers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Air controllers enactment successful the power operation of Ronald Reagan International Airport arsenic betterment efforts by authorities for the remains of a commercialized liner and a subject chopper that crashed earlier successful the week proceed connected the adjacent Potomac River successful Arlington, Virginia, connected February 2, 2025. (ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)

"We person a program successful place. We're going to surge aerial postulation controllers. We person immoderate ideas connected however we tin bash that quickly, faster than successful the past and get, you know, smart, the smartest men and women successful the country in those towers," helium said, adding that a caller program would beryllium released successful the coming days.

The erstwhile Wisconsin congressman besides called for upgrades to the country’s aerial postulation power system, thing helium said should person been done decades ago.

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"I deliberation everyone's connected committee to marque this happen, Democrats and Republicans," Duffy asserted. "The president wants it done. And truthful I deliberation this is the time. Let's hole the strategy and marque definite it's adjacent safer and adjacent much efficient."