Aviation industry demands swift upgrades to critical FAA systems
Aviation industry groups and union leaders called on the Federal Aviation Administration to expedite upgrades to critical air-traffic control systems, as Elon Musk pushes SpaceX’s Starlink as a solution for modernization.
The officials, representing key elements of the U.S. air-safety network, are testifying at a hearing on Capitol Hill Tuesday about challenges with air-traffic control staffing and infrastructure.
They’re aligned on the need for faster technology upgrades at the FAA, including to a telecommunications network carrying voice, data and video across critical operations like air-traffic control.
The role of Musk, who has implemented staff cuts in federal agencies including the FAA and is seeking to use Starlink for the network’s overhaul, remains a point of contention. The agency previously awarded a contract to Verizon Communications Inc. for much of that work and is now weighing whether to cancel the agreement, Bloomberg has reported.
“While there seems to be a drive to build things quickly, it should go without saying that making drastic changes to a system based on safety and effectiveness is neither safe nor effective,” David Spero, the president of the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists union, which represents FAA workers, said in his written testimony.
The agency hasn’t taken full advantage of its own workers for system upgrades and should lean more on its staff going forward, he added.
Safety has become a focal point of debates over the direction of the FAA since a military helicopter collided with a commercial passenger jet near Washington at the end of January, killing 67 people.
While the crash hasn’t specifically been linked to the agency’s aging air-traffic control system, the incident – among a spate of deadly accidents – reinvigorated discussions around modernization.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called on Musk, the CEO of SpaceX who also leads the cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency, to help with the task. Since then, Starlink has started testing the use of its satellite internet terminals to upgrade the FAA’s systems.
The move has raised concerns, including among Democratic lawmakers, about conflicts of interest. SpaceX is regulated by the FAA and the initiative would funnel work directly to one of Musk’s businesses while he’s serving in a prominent role advising President Donald Trump.
The FAA is weighing canceling an existing $2 billion contract with Verizon that would cover some of that work and also replace decades-old copper wires with fiber optic cables.
Representatives for the U.S. Government Accountability Office, Airlines for America, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, National Air Traffic Controllers Association and Rinaldi Consultants LLC are also testifying at the hearing.
The FAA needs to quickly fix its telecommunications network, said Nicholas Calio, the chief executive officer of A4A, which represents the largest U.S. carriers. He advocates for streamlining the agency’s procurement process including by exempting it from contract-bid protests that delay the deployment of new technology.
The FAA should rely on DOGE, alongside private-sector procurement experts, to modify existing standards, Calio said in written testimony.
Current procurement practices leave the FAA “unable to keep pace with rapidly evolving telecommunications and aviation safety enhancing technology,” said Peter Bunce, CEO of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association.