CEOs of 5 US airlines plan to support Trump’s plan to fix aging ATC system

The leaders of the five biggest US airlines intend to support the Trump administration’s new plan to update the aging air traffic control system. 

The CEOs of Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and JetBlue Airways are expected to speak at an event on May 8, 2025, where US DOT Secretary Sean Duffy will present his latest proposal to Congress, according to a Reuters report. 

Unions representing aviation pilots, air traffic controllers, flight attendants, and other aviation groups will also join the event. 

“I am announcing decisive action to address the pain passengers are feeling at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR),” Duffy announced in a recent post on X. “I am using my authority to convene a Delay Reduction Meeting. The FAA will bring airlines together to collaboratively reduce delays, preserve competition, and protect American travelers.” 

A spokesperson for Delta told Reuters that the airline’s CEO Ed Bastian “fully supports” Duffy’s plan and sees it as “a once in a lifetime opportunity to address these longstanding challenges.” 

In a recent press conference by the White House, Duffy said that prior administrations have “backed away from building a new air traffic control system because it’s too hard.” 

“That is not this administration. We are going to bring in the best companies in America to help us with this project. This is the greatest project that the FAA has undertaken under its existence,” Duffy said, adding that it will take around three to four years to complete the ATC reform project. 

At the time of writing on May 8, 2025, specific details of the ATC reform project have not yet been officially revealed. 

The Trump administration has promised to “radically transform” air traffic control following communication and radar equipment problems at the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON).  

The issues at TRACON started on April 28, 2025, causing Newark airport to lose contact with aircraft for at least 30 seconds. As a result, hundreds of flights were canceled or diverted from EWR airport. The post CEOs of 5 US airlines plan to support Trump’s plan to fix aging ATC system appeared first on AeroTime.

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