Trump: FAA NextGen System is “Out of Whack”

President Donald Trump was critical of the FAA and it’s implementation of the NextGen system – the congressionally mandated update to outdated systems – at a White House meeting of airline executives, Politico reports.

“I hear the government contracted for a system that’s the wrong system,” Politico reports that Trump told attendees of the meeting. “I hear we’re spending billions and billions of dollars. It’s a system that’s totally out of whack. It’s way over budget. It’s way behind schedule. And when it’s complete, it’s not going to be a good system. Other than that, it’s fantastic.”

 

 

While apparently making a comment about outgoing FAA Administrator Michael Huerta – the President indicated that he’d like to see a pilot in the position – Trump did not indicate support for earlier proposals to privatize parts of the FAA.  Rep. Schuster’s AIRR Act, for example, was a version of the FAA Reauthorization package calling for privatization of the Air Traffic Control division of the FAA.  While Congress later decided to pass a less controversial package that did not include the privatization proposal, House representatives have not yet given up on the idea.

Trump’s order severely limiting the enactment of new federal regulations, in an effort to lessen the restrictions that small businesses face, has led to concern in the drone industry that further steps towards the integration of commercial drones into the NAS will be unintentionally constrained.

The president did not offer specific plans at the meeting, but promised that his efforts would make American transportation infrastructure great again.

“We have an obsolete plane system. We have obsolete airports,” Politico reports that Trump said. “We have obsolete trains. We have bad roads. We’re going to change all of that, folks. You’re going to be so happy with Trump. I think you already are.”