Transportation boss Sean Duffy pledges to fix ‘frail system’ that caused frightening Newark airport air traffic control outage: ‘This should’ve been dealt with’ by Biden ...

Updated at 1:36 p.m. ET on May 20, 2025. The ongoing crisis at Newark Liberty International Airport has laid bare the sorry state of our nation’s air-traffic-control system.

He had been digging into potential vulnerabilities in traffic control systems as part of a larger research project. One device that caught his attention was the Intelight X-1 controller.

The Trump administration has announced a plan to replace the country’s aging air traffic control system with an all-new technology—but needs Congress to allot tens of billions of dollars.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is trying to sell Congress on his plan to overhaul the nation's air traffic control system that will cost “tens of billions.” (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago ...