Ex-acting FAA administrator: Now is the time for air traffic control upgrades

Billy Nolen, a former acting Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) administrator, said Monday that now is the time for air traffic control upgrades.

“[One of the things] I’ve testified both before the House and before the Senate, that says the FAA oversees systems of systems and facilities that are between 40 and 60 years old,” Nolen told NewsNation’s Chris Stirewalt on “The Hill.”

“So, I think it’s an … opportune time for [Elon Musk], for others, to come in and say … first, get a clear understanding of what’s in play here, and then how we go about giving America the very best air traffic control system in the world,” he added.

The Trump administration began firing hundreds of employees at the FAA on Friday, just weeks after a deadly crash outside of Washington, D.C., put a spotlight on the agency. Nolen led the FAA from April 2022 to June 2023 under former President Biden.

On Monday, Delta Air Lines Flight 4819 crashed while landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport, according to an FAA statement emailed to The Hill. The flight had taken off from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP). The agency said everyone on the flight had survived and been evacuated.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also said Monday on the social platform X that investigators from the FAA were on their way to Toronto and that he had “been in touch with my counterpart in Canada to offer assistance and help with the investigation.”

Earlier this month, Musk said his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was going to take on “rapid safety upgrades” to the air traffic control systems with the FAA.

“With the support of President @realDonaldTrump, the @DOGE team will aim to make rapid safety upgrades to the air traffic control system,” Musk said previously on X.

The Hill has reached out to the FAA for comment.