Buying replacement parts on eBay, making new parts with 3D printers and ...: Transport secretary tells how deep FAA troubles run
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US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has informed lawmakers that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is purchasing replacement parts on
eBay
and using 3D printers to manufacture components for its ageing technology systems. This procurement strategy highlights the challenges facing the nation's air safety system, which is currently under review for its older technology and persistent staffing problems. Secretary Duffy disclosed these practices during a Senate hearing, which took place as the Donald Trump administration looks for a major three-year overhaul of the
US air traffic control system
. This proposed modernisation plan is estimated to cost "lots of billions" and would involve replacing hundreds of radars, constructing over a dozen new control towers, and implementing a new telecommunications system.
Such an undertaking would likely require Congress to appropriate additional funds for the FAA. Last week, Duffy had stated on "Meet The Press" that the FAA has turned to eBay and 3D printing due to the unavailability of new parts for some of the agency's older systems.
What US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy about the FAA's current condition
In the latest Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing, Duffy told members:
"We do try to buy replacement parts on eBay for this really old equipment. Sometimes, we can't even buy it on eBay, so we're trying to use 3D printing to craft replacement parts for the system that we use.'
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Duffy added that although US air travel remains safe thanks to 'multiple redundancies,' he admitted that the air traffic control system requires an overhaul.
"The system we currently use, it truly is 25, 35, 40 years old in some places. We should've paid way more attention to it as a country. We've let it age, and now we're seeing the cracks of that age play out in real time for us,'
Duffy noted.
Duffy also rejected claims that recent FAA job cuts jeopardised air safety, noting that while the agency laid off several hundred probationary staff and offered voluntary buyouts,
'the layoffs and voluntary buyouts … excluded safety positions.'
He highlighted that no air traffic controllers were cut, despite concerns from a union that earlier reductions affected mechanics and specialists supporting controllers and inspectors.
"We've been hiring air traffic controllers as quickly as we can,"
Duffy said to US lawmakers.
The FAA's technological and staffing situations have drawn attention following recent air safety incidents and operational disruptions. These include a January collision between a commercial jet and a military helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport that resulted in fatalities, and in recent weeks, the FAA facility near Newark Liberty International Airport has experienced staffing shortages and equipment outages, contributing to delays at the airport.
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