Airlines for America—a trade group representing most major U.S. airlines—praised President Donald Trump for his “bold leadership” after he made remarks about improving the air traffic control system.
Trump’s comments came shortly after a tragic incident in Washington, D.C., where a PSA Airlines flight and a Black Hawk helicopter collided, resulting in the deaths of all 67 individuals on both aircraft. The National Transportation Safety Board is currently investigating the crash.
“I think what is going to happen is that we’re all going to sit down and create a great computerized system for our control towers—brand new, not pieced together, obsolete like it is now,” he stated. Trump also suggested that he would work with Congress on a bill to enhance air traffic control systems in the United States.
“We should have had the proper control,” Trump said at the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday. “We should have had better equipment. We don’t. We have obsolete equipment. They were understaffed, for whatever reason.”
The following statement is attributable to Airlines for America (A4A) President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio:
We applaud the bold leadership of President Trump taking swift, decisive action to get adequate staffing in air traffic control facilities and to modernize our nation’s ATC technologies with smarter, more efficient equipment. The days of paper strips and floppy disks must end.
Carriers have made remarkable changes and meaningful investments in technologies, operations, product and people. The government needs to do the same in an organized and timely way.
Safety is and always will be our top priority, and we support efforts by the President, his Administration and Congress to ensure that aviation remains the safest mode of transportation in the U.S. and around the world.
We must all act with a sense of urgency. We agree with President Trump: NOW is the time for action!
