Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy discusses the Federal Aviation Administration and air traffic control modernization in an exclusive interview.
SpaceX, the rocket company owned by Elon Musk, has denied reports that its Starlink would “take over” existing contracts at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
“Recent media reports about SpaceX and the FAA are false,” SpaceX wrote on X, the social media platform owned by Musk, on Wednesday. The Washington Post reported last week that the FAA was “close” to canceling a $2.4 billion contract with Verizon to upgrade the air traffic control systems and was considering awarding the work to Starlink instead.
SpaceX said Wednesday it is “working in coordination” with L3Harris Technologies – the prime contractor for the FAA’s telecommunications infrastructure – and the FAA to test the use of Starlink “as one piece of the infrastructure upgrades so badly needed, along with fiber, wireless, and other technologies.”
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A SpaceX facility is seen ahead of the Starship Flight 8 launch on March 3, 2025, in Boca Chica Beach, Texas. (Brandon Bell / Getty Images)
“Starlink is a possible partial fix to an aging system. There is no effort or intent for Starlink to ‘take over’ any existing contract – that’s just FUD,” SpaceX wrote.
“Given the critical safety issues, SpaceX signed a loan agreement with L3Harris, providing Starlink kits and service free of charge for an initial testing period,” the post continued. “Beyond this initial testing deployment, SpaceX is working with L3Harris and the FAA to identify instances where Starlink could serve as a long-term infrastructure upgrade for aviation safety.”
Democrats have pointed to reports that the FAA could cancel the $2.4 billion contract with Verizon to upgrade the air traffic control system and give it to Starlink. They have suggested that it would pose a serious conflict of interest for the Trump administration, as Musk heads the Department of Government Efficiency aimed at slashing government bloat.
Bloomberg also reported Wednesday that the FAA was “preparing to make a decision on whether to cancel the contract outright, or let Verizon retain some piece of it.”
The FAA said this week that “it will require multiple companies and multiple technologies” to update the air traffic control system.
“That is why we are testing multiple communication technologies, including satellites, fiber and wireless to ensure the safety of the national airspace system. Beyond that, no decisions for other deployments have been made,” the FAA said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital on Thursday. “Those decisions will be made by the FAA Administrator.”
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Elon Musk salutes President Donald Trump as he addresses a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on March 4, 2025. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told Fox News on Tuesday that Musk’s Starlink is only “part of a solution” for upgrading air traffic control systems. He said Starlink can be helpful at some terminals, such as in Alaska, where it is hard to access fiber wires in the mountainous region, but “again, we want to make sure we have fiber-connected systems in place.”
“So they can play some part in it, but not all of it,” Duffy said, adding that SpaceX sent engineers, as well as “some other great companies sent their engineers, and we have to move at the speed of business, not at the speed of government, and they’re helping us think through their procurement process, the time process.”
“Americans want to make sure they have the best air traffic control system in the world. We’re not there right now, but we can get there if we have the help from the private sector, and Congress gives us the money,” he added.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying a payload of 23 Starlink internet satellites soars into space after sunset after launching from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Feb. 10, 2025, as seen from Thousand Oaks, California. (Kevin Carter / Getty Images)
Fox News Digital is told that the FAA is testing Starlink at “non-safety-critical sites” in Alaska to restore stable access to weather information for pilots and the FAA’s flight services stations. Such improvements are expected to address requirements in the Don Young Alaska Safety Initiative passed by Congress.
The FAA is also testing Starlink and “multiple other technologies, including wireless” at FAA facilities in Oklahoma City and Atlantic City, New Jersey, Fox News Digital has learned. The tests are being conducted through the FAA’s Telecommunications Infrastructure (FTI) program, which is managed through a contract with L3 Harris.
Last week, Musk said the current air traffic control system “is breaking down very rapidly.” He initially said it was Verizon’s communication system but later issued a correction, saying, “The ancient system that is rapidly declining in capability was made L3Harris,” and the “new system that is not yet operational is from Verizon.”
“The FAA assessment is single digit months to catastrophic failure, putting air traveler safety at serious risk,” Musk wrote. “The Starlink terminals are being sent at NO COST to the taxpayer on an emergency basis to restore air traffic control connectivity. The situation is extremely dire.”
Reuters reported that Verizon met with FAA officials on Wednesday to discuss the contract.
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“Verizon remains best positioned to provide the FAA with the technology enhancements that are badly needed throughout its antiquated communications systems,” Verizon spokesperson Kevin Israel said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “We remain committed to this project, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with the FAA.”
