The Federal Aviation Administration operates on telecommunications architecture from the 1980s, a vulnerability that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says could trigger another nationwide ground stop.
Duffy raised the alarm on Fox News Sunday when asked how Americans could be assured such disruptions would not recur. He pointed directly to aging infrastructure as the culprit and said the fix requires wholesale replacement—not incremental upgrades.
"I need a brand new telecom system," Duffy said. While replacing copper lines with fiber optic cables represents progress, he said it alone is insufficient.
Major telecommunications providers including AT&T, Verizon and Lumen have signaled willingness to build the replacement network. But the deal hinges on one thing: money from Congress.
Duffy said Capitol Hill has not appropriated the additional funding needed to initiate and complete the infrastructure overhaul. Without it, the risk of widespread flight disruptions persists—and the burden falls on lawmakers to act.
