politics
FAA Administrator Says Air Travel Remains Safe
Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Bryan Bedford stated this week that the U.S. air traffic system is fundamentally safe. He noted ongoing modernization efforts while acknowledging some infrastructure still relies on decades-old technology.
May 29, 9:50 AM·1m read1 source
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U.S. air traffic control system is safe. In a CBS interview published Friday, Bedford stated that most equipment failures from last summer have been corrected. He added that some infrastructure still runs on 1970s and 1980s computing systems, including compact disks and floppy disks.
Bedford is asking Congress to approve $10 billion to upgrade data architecture, move systems to the cloud, and support artificial intelligence applications. The funding would also enable a unified national airspace view and accommodate drones and air taxis.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said last month that the system is safe because of skilled controllers and pilots rather than superior technology. 5 billion initiative.
Bedford said the system is as safe today as it was five or ten years ago. He stated he has zero concerns about fundamental safety and flies multiple times each week. The comments come ahead of expected high summer travel volumes tied to FIFA World Cup matches in the United States and the country's 250th anniversary celebrations.
