"This is the most optimistic thing in my entire career, and ultimately fixing the FAA to fix," said United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby. Sean Duffy, Transport Secretary Call for increased investment amid major power outages and delays at Newark Liberty International Airport.
"For decades, I and others in the aviation industry have been working on this goal, and I think we've turned around and we have a commitment," Kirby said in a "confrontation with Margaret Brennan."
Air traffic control and airlines have become more extensive under microscopes in recent months, several close calls and recent power outages, following a deadly air collision in Washington, D.C. in January. On Sunday, there was an additional 45-minute ground stop due to power outages from other equipment.
On Friday, Second air traffic control interruption In two weeks at Newark Liberty International Airport, air traffic controllers lost their radar and were able to communicate with certain aircraft for up to 90 seconds. Since the initial power outage on April 28, the second power outage has returned to normal after a series of delays and cancellations of the flight schedule.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration Announced plan On Thursday, the air traffic control system was overhauled by replacing technology across the country and building many new coordination centers. Transport Secretary Sean Duffy said the cause would cost “billions of dollars (billions of dollars) while delaying the final figures to Congress.
In an interview with CBS News senior White House and political correspondent Ed O'Keefe's optimistic attitude toward the Federal Aviation Administration's reform, Kirby said the commitment to overhauling the system is "full."
"It's bipartisan, two-color," Kirby said. "The Senate, the House, the Government, Duffy Secretary - comprehensive, committed to solving this problem. We know what to do."
This issue is nothing new, and promises to overhaul the FAA for decades and often enjoy bipartisan support. But Kirby said he thinks what’s different this time is the funding, saying the government will ask for all the funds ahead of time, which “allows you to plan the entire project and complete the entire project.” Kirby said the main players also made him optimistic, saying Duffy was “move-oriented” and “committed to accomplish this.”
Meanwhile, Kirby stressed that safety is the top priority for the entire aviation industry, saying “in Newark and in the country, it is absolutely safe.”
Kirby outlines a wide range of training and backup programs in the industry, saying “we have backup backups to ensure safe skies.”
"What happened was the pilots looking for alternative frequency," Kirby said. "They headed to the alternative center with the alternative radar, and they also had a system on the plane that could see their equivalent radar, and they could see their location in the air, in the sky and in all the other planes around."
United Airlines CEO acknowledged that if the power outage is out, the entire system will intentionally slow down, which could cause damage to customers while prioritizing safety. Kirby said Manchester United has actively reduced the number of flights to create more space at the airport, and the FAA is working with other airlines to do the same.
"What happens when they have short people or have technical issues, they slow down the space," Kirby said. "This leads to the impact of the customer. We have to delay or cancel the flight because booking flights are safer than arrival, but that's definitely what they should do."