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President Donald Trump is urging Congress to approve funding for a new air traffic control system following a recent nationwide ground stop. On Sunday, Trump posted on Truth Social, emphasizing the need for the funds, stating that the current system is "50 years old" and calling it "RIDICULOUS!" He also criticized former President Biden's administration, describing it as an "FAA disaster."
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a ground stop on Friday, which lasted about four hours and disrupted travel across the U.S. According to The Hill, the ground stop was due to communication issues caused by a telecommunications contractor's equipment outage. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that the system is outdated and called for $50 billion to upgrade it, saying, "Let's finish this job: new hardware, new software, new telecommunication."
House Speaker Mike Johnson also emphasized the need for investment, noting that some equipment dates back to the 1980s. He stated, "It's gotta be updated and that's our responsibility."
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin reassured the public that there was no evidence of a cyberattack or AI involvement in the outage. The FAA expects airlines to resume full schedules by Sunday evening.
The ground stop has raised concerns about the aging infrastructure of the U.S. air traffic control system. Barron's reports that the FAA chief, Bryan Bedford, confirmed that 12,000 flights were canceled on Friday, with more cancellations on Saturday. The FAA reopened the airspace after restoring full functionality at air traffic control facilities.