British News Agency

US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy stated that the funds provided by Congress had been earmarked for specific areas, emphasizing that urgent funding was needed to modernize air traffic control (ATC) systems and telecommunications infrastructure.

Secretary Duffy explained that they had requested substantial funding to fundamentally overhaul the air traffic control system, but Congress had provided an initial allocation of $12.5 billion with specific spending instructions for equipment such as radar and radio systems.

Duffy pointed out that they did not have sufficient funding for a new telecommunications system or software, noting that these critical components of the infrastructure had historically been underfunded.

Stating that virtually every other institution and company around the world had transitioned to digital fiber-optic systems, Duffy noted that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was still using an outdated telecommunications network that needed to be upgraded and replaced.

Duffy emphasized that they did not have to choose between securing the borders, deporting undocumented immigrants, and investing in safe air travel. He added that investments could be made in both new networks and software simultaneously.