Ex-Acting FAA Administrator Calls for Urgent Air Traffic Control Overhaul: Report

Billy Nolen, former acting Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator, reportedly emphasized the urgent need for air traffic control system upgrades.

Nolen highlighted that the FAA oversees systems that are 40 to 60 years old, underscoring the importance of modernization, The Hill reports.

This call for reform comes in the middle of chaos where the Trump administration began firing hundreds of FAA employees following a deadly crash, where an American Airlines Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAL) flight collided midair with a military Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport, resulting in multiple fatalities.

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Additionally, on Monday, Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) Flight 4819 crashed while landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport, though all passengers were safely evacuated.

Nolen, in his interview with The Hill, suggested that now is an opportune moment for leaders like Elon Musk to help improve the U.S. air traffic control infrastructure by gaining a clear understanding of existing systems and pushing for upgrades.

Musk announced earlier that his Department of Government Efficiency, popularly known as DOGE, would tackle rapid safety upgrades to the air traffic control system.

“With the support of President @realDonaldTrump, the @DOGE team will aim to make rapid safety upgrades to the air traffic control system. Just a few days ago, the FAA’s primary aircraft safety notification system failed for several hours!,” Musk wrote in a post in X, formerly Twitter, earlier this month.

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