Musk’s DOGE Will Upgrade US Air Traffic Control System, Says Transportation Secretary

Then-nominee for transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, testifies before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on Capitol Hill on Jan. 15, 2025. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Feb. 5 that Elon Musk’s cost-cutting team at the U.S. DOGE Service would soon hone in on the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) air traffic control system.

“Talked to the DOGE team. They are going to plug in to help upgrade our aviation system,” Duffy wrote in a post on the social media platform X.

Duffy did not explain how Musk would be upgrading the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) aviation system. The agency did not respond to a request for comment by publication time.

Shortly before his post, Duffy spoke at a conference of state transportation department officials about his plans for the FAA. He mentioned speaking with Musk on Feb. 4 and called the SpaceX and Tesla CEO a “pretty remarkable guy” who has “access to the best technological people, the best engineers in the world.”

“We’re gonna remake our airspace,” Duffy said. “And we’re gonna do it quickly, and we have the support of the Congress, I think right now ... we’re using like 1960s, World War II technology in much of the components of the airspace. We’re gonna upgrade it.”

Much of the equipment used by air traffic control is antiquated, including its radar system used for tracking planes. Efforts to implement a satellite-based air traffic control system known as NextGen throughout the United States have persisted for years, but the adoption has seen delays due to various issues, including costs.

An April 2024 report from the DOT Office of Inspector General also indicated that NextGen may be “less transformational than originally promised” once fully implemented, which will last beyond 2025.

Duffy also announced in his speech that the Transportation Department plans to surge air traffic controllers in the “next couple of days.” The secretary noted that hiring and deploying new controllers takes time, as it is not like “flippin' a switch” to train them.

The United States has faced chronic controller shortages for decades, as there is a low retention rate during the years-long training process. The shortage began in 1981 when President Ronald Reagan fired more than 11,000 striking air traffic controllers and was made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic when many retired early. Controllers must also retire by age 56, further exacerbating persistent staffing issues.

When Congress met in early 2024 to negotiate the FAA Reauthorization Act, the nation was facing a 3,000-plus shortage of air traffic controllers. The legislation invested more than $105 billion into the FAA and set maximum hiring targets and staff standards for new controllers.

Duffy didn’t provide details about his plan while speaking before the conference of state DOT officials.

However, the transportation secretary noted that prior to last week’s deadly midair collision between an Army helicopter and a regional American Airlines jet, the two controller positions at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport that handled helicopters and planes had been more consolidated earlier in the day than usual.

Army helicopters and commercial jets transmit on different frequencies, and at the time of the crash, one controller was handling both.

“I’m gonna look at the policies and procedures inside the tower, why that happened,” Duffy said. He also questioned why the helicopter training mission was operating in such a busy airspace around Washington at 9 p.m. when commercial flights are in frequent operation rather than later in the evening.

“And if we have generals who are flying in helicopters for convenience through this airspace, that’s unacceptable,” Duffy said.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said last week that the Black Hawk helicopter involved in the crash was conducting a routine training mission. He also confirmed that night vision goggles were worn at some point during the helicopter training.

Veteran pilots told The Epoch Times that night vision goggles can significantly reduce visibility during evening flights whenever bright lights are visible. Those include a commercial plane’s navigation and landing lights or city lights on the ground, which are plentiful in Washington.