Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has reiterated the need for a revamped air traffic control setup following the Air Canada crash at New York’s LaGuardia Airport.
Revamping Air Traffic Control A Top Priority
Visiting the crash site on Monday, Duffy took to the social media platform X to share a video of him speaking to the press. “The crash that happened last night at LGA is a reminder that a new air traffic control system needs to be a TOP PRIORITY,” he said in the caption of the post.
Duffy, in his statement to the press, said that he had been requesting Congress for additional funds to modernize the air traffic control system, also saying that it was a “partisan issue” and that lawmakers from both sides agreed that the system needed an upgrade. “I’m not saying that this crash would’ve been prevented if we had all the equipment deployed,” Duffy said.
He added that it was important to have a new air traffic control setup with state-of-the-art equipment. “It’s not about politics. It’s about SAFETY,” he said in the post.
The Air Canada Crash
On Sunday evening, a CRJ-900 aircraft, part of Air Canada Express’ fleet operated by regional partner Jazz Aviation, crashed into an on-ground support vehicle on the runway when landing at the LaGuardia airport. The plane was flying in from Montreal and had 72 passengers and 4 crew members on board.
According to a report by Radio Canada on Monday, the two pilots, identified as Antoine Forest and Mackenzie Gunther, died in the crash.
Air Traffic Control Upgrades, RTX Contract
Duffy had earlier shared that the administration would require additional funding for the revamp efforts on top of the $12.5 billion funding approved by lawmakers last year. The Transportation Secretary also shared that President Donald Trump had saved over $200 million in “five minutes” from an air traffic control contract with a company.
Meanwhile, defense contractor RTX Corp (NYSE:RTX) was earlier awarded a $438 million contract by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to supply next-generation radar systems for air traffic control.
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Photo courtesy: Joshua Sukoff / Shutterstock.com
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