“We are gonna have a brand new system,” Duffy told Fox News’s Fox & Friends. “We use copper wires, floppy disks. I mean it’s atrocious the system we use. It’s safe, but we’re seeing the cracks of age.”
“So, we’re gonna build a brand new state-of-the-art system.”
.@SecDuffy teases a NEW air traffic control system:
“Donald Trump—one of the first things he said is you gotta fix the airspace, before the crashes happen. Donald Trump said this is a problem, we’re gonna fix it, it’s gonna be the envy of the world.” pic.twitter.com/ajgR2lMqkA
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) March 19, 2025
The new system has no announcement date, but it will be hallmarked by several key changes, including foundational and technological upgrades that will make air travel in America safer and easier, according to Duffy.
“We’re gonna go from copper lines to fiber lines. Our radar, some of the newest models that we have, date back to like 1982. We’re gonna have brand new radar, brand new terminals for our air traffic controllers,” he said. “We’re gonna have sensors on runways so they don’t have to stand in the tower and look out with binoculars.”
“On their screens, they’ll be able to see where airplanes are at on the tarmac. So, again, top technology that’s going to be deployed,” he continued.
The key to renovating the system is speed, according to Duffy.
Everybody knew the system needed to be renovated, but he said time prevented it from being updated due to changes in technology, money, and administrations.
“The Congress has to give us all the money upfront,” Duffy said. “We’re getting help from, you know, Southwest. … They just had to update their system. They had a similar problem to what the FAA has. In two and a half years, they’ve updated their system, complete revamp.”
The federal government’s prior attempts to fix the air traffic control system include the NextGen modernization project in the 2000s.
The project aimed to bring air traffic control into the 21st century, but it has been hindered by failure to meet deadlines.
The “brightest and best minds” will also be called on to help facilitate the changes to the air traffic control system, Duffy said about the new effort.
“We have some SpaceX engineers who are helping us and others to help us deploy, again, this fantastic system,” he said.
Air travelers have seen multiple crashes in 2025, including the tragic Potomac plane crash in January that killed 67 people, and many have demanded action.
SEAN DUFFY CAN ADDRESS DECADES OF GOVERNMENT NEGLECT OF AIR TRAVEL
“Donald Trump—one of the first things he said is, ‘You gotta fix the airspace before the crashes happen,’” Duffy said. “Donald Trump said this is a problem. We’re gonna fix it. It’s gonna be the envy of the world.”
“I’m gonna talk to the president this week, give him the first sneak peek, and then we’re gonna roll it out to Congress and hopefully get the money quick.”
