FAA Faces Scrutiny Over Increasing Air Traffic Control Communication Outages

Denver's air traffic control system recently experienced a brief communication failure, prompting concerns about the reliability of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) infrastructure. The outage lasted around two minutes, during which time controllers successfully rerouted communications through an emergency frequency, ensuring aircraft safety.

Speaking at a congressional hearing, Franklin McIntosh, the FAA's deputy head of air traffic control, acknowledged the communication lapse and stressed that no airplanes lost separation. Representative Robert Garcia expressed alarm over the increasing frequency of such incidents, emphasizing their potential danger.

In response to these challenges, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has proposed a multibillion-dollar plan to modernize the aging air traffic control network over the next three to four years, especially as the FAA battles staffing shortages and increasing pressure on its system.

(With inputs from agencies.)