Sean Duffy says aging FAA system caused nationwide flight stop, seeks $50 billion for upgrades

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said technicians investigated a "communication issue," adding that routers within the "incredibly old" air traffic control system became "overloaded with data." "Because of that, we shut them down," Duffy said during a news conference. At the time, he said, there were 3,500 planes in the sky. Duffy also expressed frustration with Congress, as he said President Donald Trump has been asking for at least a year to fully fund a brand new air traffic control system. "How many times does this have to happen before Congress gives the money to fix it?" Duffy said, noting that a complete overhaul would cost approximately $50 billion. "America, when do you want to start building a brand new system?" Duffy said. "Give us the money and let us finish the build. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin agreed. He said the lack of funding created a national security threat. "We just saw what took place when we have vulnerabilities and and when we have an old system," he said. "The president has declared this a national emergency and now we have to have Congress act and fund it. This is vitally important that we get this system built. The president has said this. Secretary Duffy has said this multiple times. Our air traffic control system is outdated and it hasn't been a priority from Congress. And, so, this is what happens when Congress kicks the can down the road." Shortly after the ground stop was put in place around 5 p.m. EST, Mullin assured Americans that their safety was not at risk. --------------------- Stay connected with us online and on social media! Visit our website: https://kval.com/ Follow us on X: https://twitter.com/KVALnews Follow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/kvalnews/ Have a news tip? kvalnews@kval.com #liveonkval #KVAL #Eugene #Springfield #Corvallis #Albany #Roseburg #CoosBay #Oregon #News #LocalNews #OregonNews #KVALNews #PNW #PacificNorthWest #EugeneOregon #SpringfieldOregon #CorvallisOregon #AlbanyOregon #RoseburgOregon #CoosBayOregon