Musk’s DOGE Team Set to Visit US FAA Command Centre on Monday

Personnel from Elon Musk’s government downsizing team, DOGE, are set to visit the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Air Traffic Control command centre in Warrenton, Virginia, on Monday, as the Trump administration pushes for reforms in the system.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the visit in a social media post on Sunday, stating that DOGE personnel will “get a firsthand look at the current system, learn what air traffic controllers like and dislike about their current tools, and envision how we can make a new, better, modern, and safer system.”

Earlier this month, the Trump administration reversed its stance and denied air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security officers participation in a government incentive programme for voluntary resignations.

On Saturday, the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists union reported that several hundred FAA probationary employees were among the thousands dismissed as part of President Donald Trump and Musk’s campaign to reduce the size of the US bureaucracy.

The union warned that this “draconian action will increase the workload and place new responsibilities on a workforce that is already stretched thin.” The FAA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday.

Musk, the chief executive of Tesla and SpaceX, defended the planned DOGE visit, stating on X late Sunday that “the safety of air travel is a non-partisan matter. SpaceX engineers will help make air travel safer.”

Musk had previously expressed concerns over the FAA’s NOTAM pilot alerting system, which temporarily failed earlier this year and is housed at the Virginia command center.

This month, Senator Maria Cantwell urged Duffy to prevent Musk from being involved in FAA airspace reform, citing potential conflicts of interest and noting that SpaceX had been fined by the agency. SpaceX did not comment on the matter late on Sunday.

The FAA, which handles an average of 45,000 daily flights, says over a quarter of the world’s scheduled flights arrive at or depart from US airports.

Last week, two US senators called for increased funding and staffing for FAA air traffic control after a fatal midair collision underscored persistent shortages in aviation safety personnel. Senators Jeanne Shaheen and John Hoeven stated that the FAA is currently short by more than 3,500 air traffic controllers, with staffing levels having remained stagnant in recent years and declining 10% since 2012.

On January 29, a collision between an American Airlines regional jet and an Army helicopter near Washington Reagan National Airport resulted in 67 deaths, marking the deadliest US air disaster in over two decades.

Duffy has pledged to ensure that “America has the most innovative, technologically advanced air traffic control system.” He is reassessing regulations that allowed air traffic control supervisors to reduce staffing before the fatal crash.

Additionally, Duffy is expected to announce new measures to accelerate air traffic control training and recruitment. He is scheduled to visit the FAA Academy in Oklahoma this week to meet with air traffic controller instructors and students.

Faridah Abdulkadiri

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