A “hotline” between air traffic controllers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and the Pentagon intended to coordinate aircraft has not worked since March 2022, the Federal Aviation Administration revealed in a congressional hearing Wednesday.

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian says outdated air traffic control systems are to blame for slower flights, such as Atlanta to New York.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the agency has saved $9.5 billion in the first 100 days of the Trump admin, while slashing DEI and climate initiatives. He denied letting 400 ATCs go.

The United States aviation industry continues to grapple with the worst air traffic controller shortage in nearly 30 years as a recent spate of incidents has thrust the high-stress profession into the spotlight.