Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Thursday that air travel will remain safe during the Christmas season, despite ongoing shortages in U.S. air traffic control staffing. (Confirmed)
Speaking with FOX Business, Duffy pointed to recent temporary capacity reductions during a federal government shutdown as an example of action taken to maintain safety.
“We will take whatever steps are necessary to make sure the airspace is safe,” Duffy said. “So, as we look to the Christmas season, yes, it’s going to be safe to fly.”
His comments came two days after Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Bryan Bedford told a House Aviation Subcommittee that U.S. air traffic control towers are unlikely to ever reach full staffing under current agency operations.
“The honest answer, sir, is, if we continue with business as usual, never,” Bedford said when asked if towers would be fully staffed.
Duffy said the Department of Transportation is addressing the staffing issue by increasing the capacity of the federal air traffic control training school by 20%. He also noted that the agency has offered a 20% cash bonus to controllers nearing retirement who choose to stay on the job.
“We’re looking at every angle to keep more controllers in our towers, to make sure we control the airspace,” Duffy said.
To improve system infrastructure, Duffy said an outside project manager will lead a long-delayed upgrade of the air traffic control system. “We realized that after 20 years of trying to upgrade the system, the FAA, they’re great at safety, they’re not great at building things,” he said.
According to AAA, more than 122 million Americans are expected to travel at least 50 miles for the holidays. Duffy said that while staffing shortages persist, federal aviation operations are prepared to handle the Christmas rush.
“Controllers are back in the towers, we’re ready for Christmas. And again, we’re still short, but we are fixing that,” he said.
