Musk's SpaceX personnel visiting FAA to suggest improvements
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Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, joined by his son X, delivers remarks alongside President Trump during an executive order signing in the Oval Office at the White House on Feb. 11 in Washington, D.C. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Employees of Elon Musk's SpaceX will visit the Federal Aviation Administration's Air Traffic Control command center on Monday to suggest safety improvements, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said.
Why it matters: The agency is under heightened scrutiny following last month's deadly collision between a helicopter and a regional jet at Ronald Regan Airport in Washington, D.C.
- SpaceX team members will "get a firsthand look at the current system, learn what air traffic controllers like and dislike about their current tools, and envision how we can make a new, better, modern and safer system," Duffy said on Sunday.
The intrigue: SpaceX's involvement with the FAA is complicated and mired with potential conflicts of interest. The federal agency has investigated and fined the aerospace company multiple times, including for alleged safety violations.
- The company has billions in government contracts, primarily with NASA and the Pentagon.
- Musk is classified as a special government employee due to his work with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
- It is unclear what, if any, role Musk has in SpaceX advising the FAA on safety improvements, but he has previously railed against FAA regulations.
Zoom in: To counter the argument that Musk's team was "getting special access," Duffy said the FAA regularly gives tours of the command center to media and companies.
- "The safety of air travel is a non-partisan matter," Musk said in a Sunday X post. "SpaceX engineers will help make air travel safer."
Friction point: Earlier this month, Duffy said DOGE was "going to plug in to help upgrade our aviation system," prompting some lawmakers to voice concerns about potential conflicts of interest for Musk.
- "It is a conflict of interest for someone whose company is regulated by the federal government to be involved in anything that affects his personal financial interest, his company or his competitors," Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wa.) said in a letter to Duffy.
What they're saying: A Department of Transportation spokesperson said in an emailed statement the FAA "continues to hire and onboard air traffic controllers and safety professionals, including mechanics and others who support them."
- The spokesperson added: "The agency has retained employees who perform safety critical functions."
Zoom out: The Trump administration reportedly began firing probationary FAA employees on Friday, many of them responsible for maintaining air traffic control infrastructure, multiple outlets reported.
- David Spero, the national president of a union that represents thousands of FAA and Defense Department employees, condemned the firings in a statement Saturday and that said "[s]everal hundred employees have been impacted with messages being sent from an 'exec order' Microsoft email address," rather than an official .gov address.
- "This draconian action will increase the workload and place new responsibilities on a workforce that is already stretched thin," Spero's statement read, characterizing the move as "especially unconscionable" after multiple recent deadly aircraft accidents.
- Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg questioned the move Monday writing on BlueSky, "The flying public needs answers. How many FAA personnel were just fired? What positions? And why?"
Go deeper: DOGE seeks access to IRS system with sensitive taxpayer data
Editor's note: This story has been updated with comment from a Department of Transportation spokesperson and additional context.
