Latest news with #FAAEnterpriseNetworkServices
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
FAA says Newark airport's technology problems should be resolved by October
The head of the Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday he's 'confident' the technology issues at troubled Newark Liberty International Airport will be resolved by October. 'The (transportation) secretary has been very clear with me that we need to fix this, and we're fixing this now,' Chris Rocheleau, the acting head of the FAA, told a House budget hearing Wednesday. 'The second piece to that is the staffing. I think by October, we will be very healthy in there at staffing levels that we need.' The FAA transferred air traffic control over Newark to a Philadelphia facility last July from New York, where it was previously located, a move seen as controversial by many controllers and the union that represents them. Rocheleau's remarks, before the House Appropriations subcommittee on transportation, come after the New Jersey airport experienced four air traffic control system outages in recent weeks, leaving pilots and controllers without communication at times. Those outages came amid ongoing staffing shortages for controllers and the construction of a runway, which was completed this week, earlier than anticipated. 'With the runway completed, we'll continue our work to harden the telecoms infrastructure and improving the staffing pipeline for the airspace,' said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in a statement. The aging infrastructure and technology are some of the problems that could plague summer travel as Newark's airport tries to get back to flying at full capacity. Experts warn to typically expect disruptions during summer travel due to the volume of travelers at US airports, but the added pressure on the system could cause delays or cancelations. Last month, the Department of Transportation announced plans to build out a new air traffic control system. Part of that includes strengthening the existing infrastructure at Newark for a seamless summer of travel. A new fiber optic cable is now in place between Philadelphia and New York to improve air traffic control telecommunications. The FAA is seeking a company to build out the new system, the Department of Transportation said Wednesday. The agency issued a Request for Information for a company to implement a 'brand new air traffic control system over the next three years.' It identified five areas of interest for a new system: telecommunications, radio communications, surveillance, automation and facilities. Duffy has not disclosed how much the project would cost but has said he's counting on Congress to deliver funding. It's also unclear how this will impact Verizon's contract with the FAA to modernize the system. Verizon has a $2.4 billion contract to provide a long-sought upgrade to the FAA's communications system, known as the FAA Enterprise Network Services, or FENS, program. CNN reached out to the Department of Transportation for comment.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Elon Musk says upgrade of FAA's air traffic control system is failing and SpaceX needs to take over Verizon's contract
Elon Musk said Thursday that Verizon's efforts to provide a critically needed upgrade to the FAA's air traffic control system is failing. And he said that it is important that Starlink, a unit of his SpaceX satellite and rocket company, take over. 'The Verizon communication system to air traffic control is breaking down very rapidly,' he said in a post on his social media platform X. 'The FAA assessment is single digit months to catastrophic failure, putting air traveler safety at serious risk.' 'The situation is extremely dire,' Musk added. It was not immediately clear what FAA risk assessment Musk was referring to in his post. Verizon has a massive $2.4 billion contract to provide a long-sought upgrade to the FAA's communications system, known as the FAA Enterprise Network Services, or FENS, program. Asked about Musk's statement, the FAA issued a statement saying 'Regarding the FENS program, no decisions have been made.' Earlier this week the FAA confirmed it is testing three Starlink terminals. Musk said those terminals were sent to the FAA at no cost to the agency or taxpayers at this time. He added that the shipment of terminals was done 'on an emergency basis to restore air traffic control connectivity.' Verizon said another company - not Verizon - is running the FAA systems currently in place. 'Our Company is working on building the next generation system for the FAA which will support the agency's mission for safe and secure air travel,' said Verizon spokesman Rich Young. 'We are at the beginning of a multi-year contract to replace antiquated, legacy systems. Our teams have been working with the FAA's technology teams and our solution stands ready to be deployed. We continue to partner with the FAA on achieving its modernization objectives.' The company Verizon mentioned as running the current FAA equipment, and the FAA, did not have an immediate reply to requests for reaction to the Verizon statement. There is no dispute that the FAA's various computer and communications systems are badly in need of an upgrade. A December report by the Government Accountability Office was entitled 'urgent FAA actions are needed to modernize aging systems.' The Verizon contract for $2.4 billion was awarded by the FAA two years ago. The agency said it is designed to 'usher in a new era in national air system and administrative telecommunications.' The Washington Post, citing two unidentified sources, reported Thursday that the agency was on the verge of canceling the contract and giving it to SpaceX. Musk appeared to confirm the Post report with his statement on X, which was retweeting an earlier post by someone else that said, 'The FAA is on the verge of canceling Verizon's bloated $2.4 billion contract and handing it to Starlink — a move that would bring faster, safer, and more reliable air traffic control services.' Such a move could face legal challenges, as canceling federal contracts is a complex process that can take a year or more, the paper reported. It would be a large financial award for SpaceX at a time when Musk is leading Trump administration efforts to make massive cuts in federal spending, including staffing and spending at the FAA. The contract could also raise new questions about conflicts of interest for Musk's role recommending cuts in agencies with which his businesses have contracts or which have regulatory oversight of his businesses. The FAA is among the agencies that oversees the operations of SpaceX. Air traffic safety has gotten a new focus from the public in recent weeks due to a series of crashes involving commercial jet, including the fatal crash of a military helicopter and a regional jet on final approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, a fatal crash that killed all 10 people aboard a small jet in Alaska, a Delta regional airline flight that flipped over and burst into flames upon landing in Toronto and a near collision on the runway of Midway Airport between a Southwest Airlines jet that had to abort a landing when a private jet improperly crossed in front of it. The causes of all those incidents are under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and there is no indication that problems with the Verizon systems played any role in any of the incidents. But soon after the fatal crash in Washington, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that he had had discussions with Musk and that he was going to help the FAA 'remake our airspace' and 'do it quickly.' CNN's Pete Muntean and Alexandra Skores contributed to this report. This story has been updated with additional reporting and context.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Elon Musk says upgrade of FAA's air traffic control system is failing and SpaceX needs to take over Verizon's contract
Elon Musk said Thursday that Verizon's efforts to provide a critically needed upgrade to the FAA's air traffic control system is failing. And he said that it is important that Starlink, a unit of his SpaceX satellite and rocket company, take over. 'The Verizon communication system to air traffic control is breaking down very rapidly,' he said in a post on his social media platform X. 'The FAA assessment is single digit months to catastrophic failure, putting air traveler safety at serious risk.' 'The situation is extremely dire,' Musk added. It was not immediately clear what FAA risk assessment Musk was referring to in his post. Verizon has a massive $2.4 billion contract to provide a long-sought upgrade to the FAA's communications system, known as the FAA Enterprise Network Services, or FENS, program. Asked about Musk's statement, the FAA issued a statement saying 'Regarding the FENS program, no decisions have been made.' Earlier this week the FAA confirmed it is testing three Starlink terminals. Musk said those terminals were sent to the FAA at no cost to the agency or taxpayers at this time. He added that the shipment of terminals was done 'on an emergency basis to restore air traffic control connectivity.' Verizon said another company - not Verizon - is running the FAA systems currently in place. 'Our Company is working on building the next generation system for the FAA which will support the agency's mission for safe and secure air travel,' said Verizon spokesman Rich Young. 'We are at the beginning of a multi-year contract to replace antiquated, legacy systems. Our teams have been working with the FAA's technology teams and our solution stands ready to be deployed. We continue to partner with the FAA on achieving its modernization objectives.' The company Verizon mentioned as running the current FAA equipment, and the FAA, did not have an immediate reply to requests for reaction to the Verizon statement. There is no dispute that the FAA's various computer and communications systems are badly in need of an upgrade. A December report by the Government Accountability Office was entitled 'urgent FAA actions are needed to modernize aging systems.' The Verizon contract for $2.4 billion was awarded by the FAA two years ago. The agency said it is designed to 'usher in a new era in national air system and administrative telecommunications.' The Washington Post, citing two unidentified sources, reported Thursday that the agency was on the verge of canceling the contract and giving it to SpaceX. Musk appeared to confirm the Post report with his statement on X, which was retweeting an earlier post by someone else that said, 'The FAA is on the verge of canceling Verizon's bloated $2.4 billion contract and handing it to Starlink — a move that would bring faster, safer, and more reliable air traffic control services.' Such a move could face legal challenges, as canceling federal contracts is a complex process that can take a year or more, the paper reported. It would be a large financial award for SpaceX at a time when Musk is leading Trump administration efforts to make massive cuts in federal spending, including staffing and spending at the FAA. The contract could also raise new questions about conflicts of interest for Musk's role recommending cuts in agencies with which his businesses have contracts or which have regulatory oversight of his businesses. The FAA is among the agencies that oversees the operations of SpaceX. Air traffic safety has gotten a new focus from the public in recent weeks due to a series of crashes involving commercial jet, including the fatal crash of a military helicopter and a regional jet on final approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, a fatal crash that killed all 10 people aboard a small jet in Alaska, a Delta regional airline flight that flipped over and burst into flames upon landing in Toronto and a near collision on the runway of Midway Airport between a Southwest Airlines jet that had to abort a landing when a private jet improperly crossed in front of it. The causes of all those incidents are under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and there is no indication that problems with the Verizon systems played any role in any of the incidents. But soon after the fatal crash in Washington, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that he had had discussions with Musk and that he was going to help the FAA 'remake our airspace' and 'do it quickly.' CNN's Pete Muntean and Alexandra Skores contributed to this report. This story has been updated with additional reporting and context. Sign in to access your portfolio
CNN
27-02-2025
- Business
- CNN
Elon Musk says upgrade of FAA's air traffic control system is failing and SpaceX needs to take over Verizon's contract
Elon Musk said Thursday that Verizon's efforts to provide a critically needed upgrade to the FAA's air traffic control system is failing. And he said that it is important that Starlink, a unit of his SpaceX satellite and rocket company, take over. 'The Verizon communication system to air traffic control is breaking down very rapidly,' he said in a post on his social media platform X. 'The FAA assessment is single digit months to catastrophic failure, putting air traveler safety at serious risk.' 'The situation is extremely dire,' Musk added. It was not immediately clear what FAA risk assessment Musk was referring to in his post. Verizon has a massive $2.4 billion contract to provide a long-sought upgrade to the FAA's communications system, known as the FAA Enterprise Network Services, or FENS, program. Asked about Musk's statement, the FAA issued a statement saying 'Regarding the FENS program, no decisions have been made.' Earlier this week the FAA confirmed it is testing three Starlink terminals. Musk said those terminals were sent to the FAA at no cost to the agency or taxpayers at this time. He added that the shipment of terminals was done 'on an emergency basis to restore air traffic control connectivity.' Verizon said another company - not Verizon - is running the FAA systems currently in place. 'Our Company is working on building the next generation system for the FAA which will support the agency's mission for safe and secure air travel,' said Verizon spokesman Rich Young. 'We are at the beginning of a multi-year contract to replace antiquated, legacy systems. Our teams have been working with the FAA's technology teams and our solution stands ready to be deployed. We continue to partner with the FAA on achieving its modernization objectives.' The company Verizon mentioned as running the current FAA equipment, and the FAA, did not have an immediate reply to requests for reaction to the Verizon statement. There is no dispute that the FAA's various computer and communications systems are badly in need of an upgrade. A December report by the Government Accountability Office was entitled 'urgent FAA actions are needed to modernize aging systems.' The Verizon contract for $2.4 billion was awarded by the FAA two years ago. The agency said it is designed to 'usher in a new era in national air system and administrative telecommunications.' The Washington Post, citing two unidentified sources, reported Thursday that the agency was on the verge of canceling the contract and giving it to SpaceX. Musk appeared to confirm the Post report with his statement on X, which was retweeting an earlier post by someone else that said, 'The FAA is on the verge of canceling Verizon's bloated $2.4 billion contract and handing it to Starlink — a move that would bring faster, safer, and more reliable air traffic control services.' Such a move could face legal challenges, as canceling federal contracts is a complex process that can take a year or more, the paper reported. It would be a large financial award for SpaceX at a time when Musk is leading Trump administration efforts to make massive cuts in federal spending, including staffing and spending at the FAA. The contract could also raise new questions about conflicts of interest for Musk's role recommending cuts in agencies with which his businesses have contracts or which have regulatory oversight of his businesses. The FAA is among the agencies that oversees the operations of SpaceX. Air traffic safety has gotten a new focus from the public in recent weeks due to a series of crashes involving commercial jet, including the fatal crash of a military helicopter and a regional jet on final approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, a fatal crash that killed all 10 people aboard a small jet in Alaska, a Delta regional airline flight that flipped over and burst into flames upon landing in Toronto and a near collision on the runway of Midway Airport between a Southwest Airlines jet that had to abort a landing when a private jet improperly crossed in front of it. The causes of all those incidents are under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and there is no indication that problems with the Verizon systems played any role in any of the incidents. But soon after the fatal crash in Washington, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that he had had discussions with Musk and that he was going to help the FAA 'remake our airspace' and 'do it quickly.' CNN's Pete Muntean and Alexandra Skores contributed to this report. This story has been updated with additional reporting and context.
CNN
27-02-2025
- Business
- CNN
Elon Musk says Verizon's effort to upgrade FAA's air traffic control system is failing and SpaceX needs to take over
Elon Musk said Thursday that Verizon's efforts to provide a critically needed upgrade to the FAA's air traffic control system is failing. And he said that it is important that Starlink, a unit of his SpaceX satellite and rocket company, take over. 'The Verizon communication system to air traffic control is breaking down very rapidly,' he said in a post on his social media platform X. 'The FAA assessment is single digit months to catastrophic failure, putting air traveler safety at serious risk.' 'The situation is extremely dire,' Musk added. It was not immediately clear what FAA risk assessment Musk was referring to in his post. Verizon has a massive $2.4 billion contract to provide a long-sought upgrade to the FAA's communications system, known as the FAA Enterprise Network Services, or FENS, program. Asked about Musk's statement, the FAA issued a statement saying 'Regarding the FENS program, no decisions have been made.' Earlier this week the FAA confirmed it is testing three Starlink terminals. Musk said those terminals were sent to the FAA at no cost to the agency or taxpayers at this time. He added that the shipment of terminals was done 'on an emergency basis to restore air traffic control connectivity.' Verizon did not immediately responded to a request for comment. Earlier this week it issued a statement about the FAA testing the Starlink system, saying, 'Verizon is bringing the nation's most reliable network to the FAA at a time when critical infrastructure and technology enhancements are needed most. We're at the beginning of a 15-year contract with the FAA that will help the agency modernize its technology.' This is a developing story. It will be updated.
