Elon Musk’s SpaceX has been asked to improve US air traffic control systems, in a move that hands the unelected billionaire yet more power over US federal operations and society, causing deep concern among aviation experts around the world.
The invitation to Musk’s team came from Transport Secretary Sean Duffy, following orders from President Donald Trump to “deliver a new, world-class air traffic control system that will be the envy of the world.”
SpaceX staff entered the Air Traffic Control System Command Center in Virginia on Monday 17 February 2024, zero business days after hundreds of FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) employees, including systems specialists, safety inspectors, maintenance mechanics, and administrative staff, were suddenly fired by email from a non-official Microsoft account.
What will SpaceX do at the FAA?
It is unclear exactly what role SpaceX will play because Duffy has issued contradictory information. On the one hand he has implied they will audit the FAA and develop new processes as they “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.”
America deserves safe, state-of-the-art air travel, and President Trump has ordered that I deliver a new, world-class air traffic control system that will be the envy of the world.
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) February 17, 2025
To do that, I need advice from the brightest minds in America.
I’m asking for help from any…
On the other hand, he has also described their Command Center visit as a “tour” and denied that they would have special access. “Let me make clear that the @FAANews regularly gives tours of the command center to both media and companies,” he said.
Despite those contradictions, Duffy and Musk himself have both already confirmed on X that Musk’s new DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) will participate in the overhaul of US air operations. “They are going to plug in to help upgrade our aviation system,” Duffy said, calling their involvement “Big News.”
ELON MUSK: "What's better than saying trust me is just full TRANSPARENCY. That's what we are doing with the DOGE.
— DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) February 20, 2025
Just go to doge dot gov website, you can see every single action that's being taken." pic.twitter.com/PjnzPgLN8F
Beef between SpaceX and the FAA
Musk went even further, claiming “With the support of President @realDonaldTrump, the @DOGE team will aim to make rapid safety upgrades to the air traffic control system. Just a few days ago, the FAA’s primary aircraft safety notification system failed for several hours!”
With the support of President @realDonaldTrump, the @DOGE team will aim to make rapid safety upgrades to the air traffic control system.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 5, 2025
Just a few days ago, the FAA’s primary aircraft safety notification system failed for several hours!https://t.co/WHwNNBN0Zd https://t.co/fwOJ9BUBX5
Musk has been critical of the FAA after the agency fined his space company more than $600,000 (€576,000) for various violations, including the unauthorised use of a control room. The FAA also halted SpaceX launches in early 2025 after a SpaceX craft blew up causing disruption to thousands of air passengers. There are now concerns from the global aviation community that Musk will use the opportunity to take revenge on the FAA or pursue his own agenda.
Is Musk the right person for the job?
Even if he does keep his personal beef with the FAA out of things, trust in Musk’s ability to improve safety is low, since the billionaire’s reputation for so-called “fail-fast fail-often” innovation precedes him.
“Is Mr. Musk the right person?” asked Andrew Charlton, managing director of the Aviation Advocacy consultancy, reported by Politico. “I mean, all of the things he builds have a terrible tendency to burst into flames.” According to Charlton, the European aviation sector “is dumbstruck” by the choice of Musk and events in the US. “I mean, they’re freaking out. They’re watching with slack-jawed amazement.”
Meanwhile, Austrian air traffic controller and Vida Union aviation chair, Daniel Liebhart accused Musk, the world’s richest man, of a focus on money, not safety. “But when it comes to air traffic control … it’s about people’s lives. And their safety should be the No. 1 priority,” he pointed out.
The US aviation sector has been rocked by several incidents in recent years, including aircraft parts falling from the sky amid a manufacturing safety crisis at Boeing, a number of near-misses, a recent mid-air collision over Washington that killed 67 people, another deadly crash in Alaska, and a Delta flight from Minneapolis to Toronto that overturned on the tarmac. The last three of these have occurred since Trump took office, bringing Musk with him.
Musk, who is not only running SpaceX, Tesla, X, xAI, the Boring Company, and Neuralink, but is also in charge of DOGE and now has staff overhauling aviation safety, appears, at the very least, to have his work cut out.
