Transport Minister Sean Duffy joins ‘Mornings with Maria’ to address safety concerns, flight disruptions and the government’s push to modernize air traffic control as China accelerates its drone and space ambitions.
Transport Secretary Sean Duffy insists it will be ‘safe to fly’ as millions of Americans dive into the Christmas rush – even as the country’s top aviation regulator issued a stark warning that US air traffic control towers will never reach full staff.
“So as we look at the Christmas period, it is indeed safe to fly,” he added. “I just hope people pack their best attitude and best mood when they go to the airport and on the plane.”
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Duffy’s confident decision comes just after Bryan Bedford, head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), told lawmakers on Tuesday that it is unlikely that America’s air traffic control towers will ever reach maximum staffing levels if the agency continues to operate as it does now, while acknowledging ongoing shortages. during a House Aviation Subcommittee hearing.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy speaks at a conference launching the “Make Travel Family Friendly Again” campaign at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on December 8, 2025 (Getty Images)
“The honest answer, sir, is: If we continue with business as usual, never,” Bedford said when Rep. Hank Johnson Jr., D-Ga., asked when the air traffic control towers would be fully staffed.
According to Duffy, plans have been drawn up to expand the capacity of the federal air traffic control training school by 20%, which he believes will make up for the employment shortfall over time.
“We have a project manager who will build our new air traffic control system,” the secretary said. “We realized that after 20 years of trying to upgrade the system, the FAA, they’re good at safety, but they’re not so good at building things. And so we’re going to bring in an outside contractor to do the work for us and help us manage this huge project.”
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The Department of Transport has also reportedly offered air traffic controllers nearing retirement a 20% cash bonus to stay on the job.
“We’re looking at every possible angle to keep more controllers in our towers, to make sure we’re controlling the airspace,” Duffy said. “We have seen this during the closure When people weren’t coming in, we started reducing airspace capacity, and you saw a lot of delays because of that.”
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While AAA reports that more than 122 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home this holiday season, Duffy agreed he’s optimistic about smooth takeoffs and landings.
“The controllers are back in the towers, we’re ready for Christmas. And again, we’re still short, but we’re working on that.”
