Airlines for America – a trade group representing most major airlines in the U.S. – applauded President Donald Trump for his “bold leadership” following remarks on improving the air traffic control system.
“We should have had the proper control,” Trump said at the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday. “We should have had better equipment. We don’t. We have obsolete equipment. They were understaffed, for whatever reason.”
His comments come a little over a week after a PSA Airlines CRJ-700 and Black Hawk helicopter collided in Washington, D.C., killing all 67 on both aircraft. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.
“I think what is going to happen is we’re all going to sit down and do a great computerized system for our control towers, brand-new — not pieced together, obsolete, like it is …,” he continued.
Trump suggested that he’d work with Congress on a bill to improve air traffic control systems in the U.S.
Airlines Agree
Airlines for America President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio backed Trump’s comments.
“We applaud the bold leadership of President Trump taking swift, decisive action to get adequate staffing in air traffic control facilities and to modernize our nation’s ATC technologies with smarter, more efficient equipment,” he said in a statement. “The days of paper strips and floppy disks must end.”
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said earlier this week that he’s spoken with Elon Musk, and his Department of Government Efficiency team plans to “plug in” and rapidly upgrade these systems.
“We must all act with a sense of urgency. We agree with President Trump: NOW is the time for action,” Calio concluded.
