During a recent episode of NBC’s Meet the Press, anchor Kristen Welker questioned Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy regarding troubling incidents at Newark airport, where air traffic controllers experienced several outages in both radar and radio communications. Welker pointed out that these outages have raised serious concerns about safety at the airport, particularly following multiple occurrences since August.
Duffy attributed the ongoing issues to an outdated infrastructure, with systems that are anywhere from 25 to 50 years old. He emphasized that both Congress and the public have historically overlooked these critical systems, which has led to current failures. Duffy stated that the glitches are tied to telecommunications problems as well as software overloads, which have caused breakdowns in communication lines.
While acknowledging the severity of the situation in Newark, Duffy expressed hope for a swift resolution, stating, “We believe we’re gonna have it up and running in short order.” He reassured viewers that efforts are underway to rectify the issues, specifically focusing on improving the primary and redundant lines that handle radar data.
The repeated outages underscore the urgent need for infrastructure reform in the aviation sector. As discussions continue, there may be a greater push for investment in modernizing air traffic systems across the country, potentially leading to enhanced safety and reliability for passengers in the future.