World
Trump Accuses Biden of Worsening Air Traffic Control System, Calls for Rapid Funding
President Donald Trump has blamed the Biden administration for the aviation disruption that began on Friday and continued to affect thousands of travellers over the weekend. In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump urged Congress to approve billions of dollars for a major overhaul of the country’s air traffic control system. He said the upgrades already underway should be completed in one push rather than “drips and drabs.” Trump described the existing system as around 50 years old and promised it would become the “BEST SYSTEM anywhere in the World” if Congress approved the needed money. Trump also accused the previous administration of leaving the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the air traffic control network in a worse condition. Biden had signed an infrastructure law allocating $25 billion to the FAA for airport improvements, control towers, terminal redevelopment and upgrades to the air traffic control system. The Republican‑controlled Congress approved $12.5 billion for the FAA last year as part of a broader tax‑cut package. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described that allocation as a down payment on a larger modernization program and has continued to press lawmakers for additional funding. Duffy explained the disruption on Sunday, noting that contractor L3Harris Technologies had recovered two routers from FAA facilities in Texas and Arkansas and was conducting “deep diagnostics.” He said the problem emerged during work to replace an old copper‑wire section with fiber‑optic cable, which somehow caused the system to overload. Duffy told CBS that some delays were continuing but that the system was expected to be running at full capacity by the end of Sunday or into Monday. He added that a ground stop can leave aircraft and crew members out of position, making it difficult for airlines to resume normal schedules immediately even after the underlying disruption is addressed, but that the recovery was well under way.
Frequently asked questions
What did Trump say about the air traffic control system?
Trump said the existing system is about 50 years old and that, if Congress approves the needed money, it would become the best system anywhere in the world.
How much funding has been allocated to the FAA?
Biden signed an infrastructure law allocating $25 billion to the FAA, and Congress approved $12.5 billion last year as part of a tax‑cut package.
What caused the recent air traffic disruption?
The disruption was caused when contractor L3Harris Technologies replaced an old copper‑wire section with fiber‑optic cable, which overloaded the system during the work.