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By Shane Croucher and Billal Rahman
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President Donald Trump has blamed air traffic control problems impacting U.S. airports on former President Joe Biden's Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Writing on Truth Social on Thursday, the president said: "Air Traffic problems caused by the incompetent Biden Administration, as headed by, in this case, a total novice and political hack, Pete B. I WILL FIX IT!!!"
The post from Trump comes after hundreds of flights were canceled and delayed at Newark Liberty International Airport over the past week, in part due to air traffic control staffing issues.
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Why It Matters
Newark has experienced disruptions since April 28, when air traffic controllers at Philadelphia's TRACON—which guides aircraft in and out of the New Jersey airport—reportedly lost contact for upwards of 30 seconds, according to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
Since then, hundreds of delays and cancellations have occurred, which local and federal officials have attributed to aging equipment, a shortage of air traffic controllers, and the continued closure of one of Newark's three runways.
What To Know
Duffy has also criticized Buttigieg for exacerbating the air traffic control problem across the U.S.
"Celebrating Transit Equity Day. Chairing the Equity Council. Stopping racist roads. Building bike paths. Funding studies on gender non-conforming people. This is the c*** Pete Buttigieg focused on instead of fixing the problems with Newark and our entire air traffic control system," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday.
"Buttigieg and Biden didn't lift a finger to fix our air traffic control system. They knew about this mess, but they were too busy celebrating equity and the green new deal. Buttigieg put lives in danger. We've got a plan to fix it."
Buttigieg has not responded to the remarks, but addressed the crisis at Newark on Tuesday. "It's obviously a real concern, a major concern," he said on MSNBC's The Briefing with Jen Psaki. "When you become Secretary of Transportation, you know that your most important priority is safety. I understood that, my predecessors understood that, and my successor says that he understands that."
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Wednesday it was "accelerating" staffing and technology upgrades in response to the flight delays and cancellations at Newark.
Recent incidents and near misses in U.S. airspace have brought renewed attention to aviation safety protocols.
Earlier this year, a fatal midair collision between a Black Hawk military helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet resulted in the deaths of 67 people at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C.
What People Are Saying
Duffy wrote on X on Wednesday: "Today I am announcing decisive action to address the pain passengers are feeling at Newark Liberty International Airport. I am using my authority to convene a Delay Reduction Meeting. The FAA will bring airlines together to collaboratively reduce delays, preserve competition, and protect American travelers."
Democratic New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said on Monday: "Decades of underinvestment in the maintenance of critical air traffic control infrastructure, delays in upgrading to modern 21st century air traffic control technology, and inadequate air traffic control staffing have resulted in a frail system nationwide."
Buttigieg wrote on X on May 4: "Donald Trump is the most unpopular 100-day-mark president in modern American history."
What Happens Next
Duffy has reiterated the FAA's willingness to offer a limited-time incentive package to keep experienced controllers from retiring and increased the starting salary for academy trainees by 30 percent.
The plan also includes hiring at least 2,000 controllers this year through a streamlined hiring process.
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