While faulting some towers for inefficient practices, the report recognized significant external factors and called on Congress to help address the problem.
Records show that air traffic controllers handling Newark Liberty International Airport flights have grappled with equipment outages since at least 2023, an anxiety-causing situation they call “plug and pray.”
The agency has taken steps to reduce the risk of midair collisions after a military helicopter struck a commercial flight in January, killing everyone on both crafts.
An investigation will examine what could have prevented an Army Black Hawk helicopter from ramming into an American Airlines flight on Jan. 29, killing all on board both aircraft.
“We have a solemn responsibility to the victims, their families and the flying public to fully understand what went wrong — and to ensure it never happens again,” Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said.
An investigation will examine what could have prevented an Army Black Hawk helicopter from ramming into an American Airlines flight on Jan. 29, killing all on board both aircraft.
“We have a solemn responsibility to the victims, their families and the flying public to fully understand what went wrong — and to ensure it never happens again,” Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said.
The confirmation hearing for Bryan Bedford, a commercial airline executive, came as the agency confronts critical staffing shortages and questions about passenger safety.
Bryan Bedford recently criticized the Federal Aviation Administration, the agency President Trump nominated him to lead, for what he called a “lack of strategic vision.”
Connexion
