Musk sets sights on aviation reform
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Elon Musk and the U.S. Department of Transportation will "remake" U.S. airspace, Transportation secretary Sean Duffy said at an event on Wednesday.
Why it matters: The collision last week between an American Airlines passenger jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter became the deadliest aviation disaster in the U.S. in more than 20 years, leading to renewed scrutiny of the country's overextended air traffic system.
What they're saying: Duffy endorsed Musk's intervention, as the Tesla CEO/special government employee tears through other parts of the federal bureaucracy.
- "With the support of President @realDonaldTrump, the @DOGE team will aim to make rapid safety upgrades to the air traffic control system," Musk wrote on X Wednesday afternoon.
- Duffy addressed those comments, saying "I had a conversation with Elon Musk yesterday, pretty remarkable guy. He thinks differently than I think probably a lot of us do, but he has access to the best technological people, the best engineers in the world. We're going to remake our airspace, and we're going to do it quickly."
- He later added on X that Musk's DOGE team will "plug in to help upgrade our aviation system."
Zoom out: The Trump administration is attempting to slash government staffing elsewhere, and has already blamed the hiring practices of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which oversees U.S. airspace, for the collision.
- Namely, Trump has slammed — without evidence — diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives for contributing to the plane crash.
- Most of Musk's DOGE agenda focuses on eliminating jobs and spending, which would be a problem where airspace safety is concerned. In reality, the U.S. has an air traffic controller shortage,
💠Alex Fitzpatrick's thought bubble: There's general agreement in aviation circles that FAA systems and processes need updating and investment. But rapid changes could bring new safety risks if made without proper testing and implementation.
What we're watching: Musk's SpaceX runs in commercial airspace, which means that the FAA oversees the company, raising questions about conflicts.
- Last year, Musk threatened to sue the FAA over "regulatory overreach" when the agency did not approve SpaceX's launch licenses quickly enough.
Go deeper: Think the skies are crowded now? Just wait
