US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has warned of a” crisis” in the country’s air traffic control system, which is grappling with stale equipment, severe staffing shortages, and a number of well-known failures, including fatalities and repeated outages. Duffy made the revelations in a testimony before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Thursday that the FAA is so dependent on outdated systems that it has searched online for replacement parts and even 3D printed some components. According to CBS News,” Maybe, we can’t even buy it on eBay, so we’re trying to use 3D printing,” Duffy said.
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Following a deadly air collision in January between a corporate jet and an Army plane that left 67 people dead, according to WCHSTV, the problems has come under intense scrutiny. Furthermore, significant flight disruptions have been caused by technology failures at the FAA facility in charge of Newark Liberty International Airport and other related issues in Denver and Atlanta. Newark had only three devices on work at one point, compared to the intended 14-person personnel, according to CBS News. Duffy argued that” the technique we use right now… is 25, 35, 40 years old in some places. We’ve allowed the cracks to time, and we’re then seeing them develop in real time. He urged legislators to support the proposed multi-billion-dollar program overhaul by the Trump administration, which includes the installation of hundreds of radars, fresh telecommunications infrastructure, and more than a dozen fresh control towers. The 138 FAA control systems, according to the Government Accountability Office, are unsustainable or potentially unsustainable in 76 % of cases. Duffy argued despite fears that “multiple inconsistencies” keep air travel safe. He did acknowledge that difficulties and system problems, such as the 90-second communications blackout in Denver earlier this year, show how delicate the current system is. Duffy also addressed criticism over new cuts, stating that no air traffic controllers were fired despite being let go as part of broader national labor cuts. Democrats like Sen Patty Murray, who criticized reports of mistaken merger emails sent to FAA workers, expressed opposition to his claim that “we’ve been hiring air traffic controllers as soon as we can.” The department of transportation has implemented methods like expedited health screening and loyalty bonuses for experienced workers to address the shortage of 3, 000 devices. Rep. Rick Larsen stated to the House during a associated reading that” we need to take action right away to ensure the safety of the traveling community.” In order to possibly reduce planes out of Newark, which has seen over 140 delays on Thursday only, is currently in discussions with carriers, according to the FAA, citing ongoing staffing issues.
