Today marks the one-year anniversary of a horrific tragedy over the skies of our nation’s capital — the crash of American Airlines Flight 5342. While 12 months have passed, the loss of those 67 souls and the impact it had on their loved ones, their communities, and the country remains painfully fresh.
It is often challenging to find any source of comfort in such unspeakable heartbreak. Yet somehow, through that immense pain, the families of Flight 5342 spent the last year turning their grief into a catalyst for change. Their determination, advocacy, and spirit have galvanized the entire aviation industry to elevate safety like never before — including at the Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration.
DUFFY LEADS CHARGE FOR NATIONAL MALL INDY CAR RACE
As it should. National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said correctly this week — this tragedy was 100% preventable. It should have never happened.
In the years before the crash, close calls were missed, safety recommendations weren’t properly elevated, and unnecessary cross traffic grew.
More broadly, our antiquated air traffic control system grew older, equipment breakdowns were band-aided over, and controller hiring slowed.
Yes — these are difficult problems to fix. But that’s an unacceptable excuse. We may have inherited it, but it’s on all of us as leaders to tackle these challenges head-on.
And that’s why, since that frigid evening in January, the Trump administration stood firm on its promise to make our skies safer than ever. Anything less would be a disservice to the memories of the lost.
USDOT and FAA quickly took action to enhance safety, including the restriction of traffic around the airport. We made those changes permanent, aligning with the NTSB recommendations.
But we didn’t stop there. Using innovative artificial intelligence tools, we combed through piles of data to reveal similar high-traffic hot spots around the country where planes and helicopters interact. Once those hot spots were identified, we adopted additional safety protocols to mitigate risk and keep people safe.
Working with FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, we also launched the largest reorganization in the agency’s history. This long-overdue shift will prioritize safety, embrace innovation, increase transparency, and support much-needed cultural changes. The hardworking men and women deserve an agency structure that empowers them to focus on the mission, and I am confident this restructuring will have profoundly positive effects on reversing past challenges.
This reorganization will also help us move at lightning speed to install a brand new air traffic control system. Thanks to Trump and Republicans in Congress passing the Working Families Tax Cut Act, we received a $12.5 billion down payment to overhaul our infrastructure aggressively and modernize our skies.
That money is already resulting in tangible results. In the last few months, our transition of telecoms wires from copper, which is decades old and unreliable, to modern fiber has hit the 30% mark. We also converted 168 radio sites, installed 53 new surface awareness systems, and moved 13 towers from paper strips (which are straight out of the 1960s) to electronics.
We already made immense progress under Trump’s leadership. But I want to be crystal clear: The job is not done.
Our skies are the safest in the world, but there is still much more we can do. We are doubling down on modernization work, speeding up the pace of installations, and deploying brand new radar systems.
We will continue to push to reform the FAA, carefully review the NTSB’s latest round of recommendations, and implement any needed changes.
GRIEVING FAMILIES SAY MORE MUST BE DONE
I recognize no action can make up for the horrific heartbreak each of the Flight 5342 families of the victims is experiencing. We can’t bring them back, but we can pay it forward.
It is my sincere belief that by working together, we can create a legacy of change for the better. We have already come so far, thanks in large part to their profound strength. We won’t rest until the job is done.