New FAA systems NEEDED after nationwide ground stop, ex-FAA official warns

S. IMPORTANT AND KIND OF WHAT. MAKES EVERYTHING WORK OR NOT. WORK. GRIFF: A GREAT POINT. ALL RIGHT, LET'S BRING IN. FORMER F.A.A. DEPUTY. ADMINISTRATOR DANIEL ELWELL, AND TALK TO ME HERE WE ARE, AND. THE PASSENGERS ARE FRUSTRATED, RIGHTFULLY SO AND THINGS SEEM. TO BE COMING BACK ON, BUT YOU. KNOW, YOU'VE BEEN PART OF THE. F.A.A. WHERE DO YOU SEE THIS HEADED. AND HOW LONG IS IT REALLY GOING. TO TAKE FOR THINGS TO GET BABAC.

ONLINE? >> WELL, GREAT TO BE WITH YOU. GUYS THIS MORNING. BOY, THAT'S A MULTI-PART. QUESTION, RIGHT. SO, THE IMMEDIATE ISSUE HAS. BEEN RESOLVED, THE ROUTERS AND. COMMUNICATION FACILITIES ARE. TALKING TO EACH OTHER AGAIN. NOW, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF SORT. OF REBUILDING THE SCHEDULE AND. THE AIRLINES ARE WORKING, TRUST. ME ALL NIGHT LONG, FURIOUSLY TO. GET PLANES WHERE THEY NEED TO. BE, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY GET. FRESH CREWS WHERE THEY NEED TO. BE TO GET BACK ON SCHEDULE.

THE BIGGER QUESTION THOUGH IS, HOW LONG IS IT GOING TO TAKE SO. THAT WE MINIMIZE IF NOT. ELIMINATE THESE KINDS OF. EPISODES AND AS SECRETARY DUFFY. SAID LAST NIGHT, THE ONLY WAY. THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IS IF WE. RESOLVE BIPARTISANLY IN THIS. COUNTRY AND CONGRESS AND. THROUGHOUT ALL OF GOVERNMENT TO. CHANGE THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL. SYSTEM AND MODERNIZE IT, GIVE. IT RESILIENCE, ROBUSTNESS AND. THEN COMMUNICATIONS AND THE.

FACILITIES CAN TALK TO EACH. OTHER CONFIDENTLY WITHOUT WORRY. ABOUT A BREAKDOWN. GRIFF: YEAH, SO, DANIEL, LET ME. DIVE INTO THAT BECAUSE YOU SORT. OF BROUGHT THAT UP. BUT THIS LEGACY, OUTDATED. SYSTEM THAT SECRETARY DUFFY AND. OTHERS HAVE TALKED ABOUT, THIS. ADMINISTRATION, PRESIDENT TRUMP. AND SECRETARY DUFFY COME IN AND. IMMEDIATELY BEGIN MAKING IT A. PRIORITY TO MODERNIZE THESE. SYSTEMS, WHICH APPARENTLY BACK. UNDER THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, WHEN SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG HAD.

THAT NATIONAL GROUND STOP IN. 2023, THERE WERE A LOT OF. STUDIES DONE AND MONEY SPENT, BUT THAT ACTUAL SYSTEM WAS NOT. UPDATED WHEN WE GOT TO THE. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AND I. UNDERSTAND FROM PEOPLE INSIDE. THE INDUSTRY THAT THIS ACTUALLY. DATES BACK DECADES. WHY WASN'T THIS DEALT WITH? WHY ALL OF A SUDDEN IS THIS. ADMINISTRATION HAVING TO FIX A. DECADES' LONG PROBLEM? >> WELL, THAT'S THE QUESTION. I MEAN, EVERY ADMINISTRATION.

HAS STRIVED TO MIX THE. MODERNIZATION OF THE SYSTEM. IT'S BEEN VERY, VERY DIFFICULT. BECAUSE CONGRESS HAS TO GIVE. THE MONEY, HAS TO GIVE APPROVAL. AND WE'VE NEVER QUITE HAD. ENOUGH MONEY TO DO IT. WHEN I WAS AT THE F.A.A. WE. WOULD GET 2 TO 3 BILLION FOR. EQUIPMENT A YEAR AND THE VAST. MAJORITY WENT FOR THE EXISTING. SYSTEM UP AND RUNNING. WE NEVER GOT THE MONEY NEEDED. TO TRANSFORM ATC AND THIS.

ADMINISTRATION, THIS PRESIDENT, HAS PUT MONEY 12 1/2 BILLION IS. NOWHERE NEAR ENOUGH TO DO THE. WHOLE SYSTEM, BUT FIVE TIMES. WHAT WE'VE SEEN. THEY'VE GOT A GREAT START AND. FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN THEY'VE. DONE ALREADY, IF ALLOWED TO. CONTINUE, EVEN BEYOND THIS. PRESIDENCY, WE SHOULD GET A NEW. SYSTEM AND NOT HAVE TO DEAL. WITH PROBLEMS LIKE THIS. CHARLIE: THAT SEEMS AN. INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT POINT, DANIEL, BECAUSE YOU ARE IN THE. KNOW.

YOU UNDERSTAND. SO WHEN YOU SAW SECRETARY DUFFY. COMING OUT SWINGING, ASKING FOR. 15 BILLION TALKING ABOUT THE. NEED FOR ALL AMERICANS TO. UPDATE THE SYSTEM, WHAT WAS. YOUR REACTION? WERE YOU WITH HIM? WERE YOU ON THE SAME PAGE? >> SORRY. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU. DO--. >> CAN YOU HEAR ME THERE? I KNOW SOMETIMES WE HAVE. COMMUNICATION DIFFICULTY THERE. CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW, DANIEL? >> YES, CAN YOU HEAR ME. GRIFF: YEAH, SORRY, I'VE GOT.

YOU BACK. I WANT TO ASK YOU WHEN YOU. HEARD SECRETARY DUFFY TALKING. ABOUT, URGENTLY TALKING ABOUT. THE NEED TO GET CONGRESS TO GET. ON THE SAME PAGE BIPARTISAN. SUPPORT FOR $50 BILLION TO FIX. THE SYSTEM, WHAT WAS YOUR. REACTION? >> OH, SOMEBODY WHO HAS BEEN A. PARTICIPANT IN THE SYSTEM AND A. REGULATOR OVER THE SYSTEM, I. WAS OVERJOYED. A LITTLE BIT CYNICAL THE. ABILITY TO GET $50 BILLION FOR. ATC, BUT I SURE HOPE IT HAPPENS.

AND I HOPE THAT WE COME. TOGETHER. WHEN WE HAVE ATC PROBLEMS LIKE. THIS AND DIFFICULTIES, IT. AFFECTS EVERYBODY THE SAME. NOBODY IS IMMUNE FROM IT SO. EVERYONE SHOULD BE UNITED IN A. DESIRE TO GET IT FIXED, BUT THE. MOST IMPORTANT THING, GRIFF, I. THINK TODAY IS JUST FOR PEOPLE. TO REMEMBER, THE SYSTEM WILL. ALWAYS BE SAFE. F.A.A. WILL SLOW THINGS DOWN, LIKE IT DID BIG TIME LAST.

NIGHT, BUT THAT IS SO THAT WHAT. IS HAPPENING IS SAFE AND IT. WILL BE SAFE. IT'S JUST A MATTER OF BEING. SAFE AND EFFICIENT. THAT'S THE THING THAT WE'VE GOT. TO DO. GRIFF: DANIEL, I APPRECIATE. YOUR TIME. A FEW SECONDS, I WANT TO ASK. YOU, POLITICALLY HAKEEM. JEFFRIES COULD BE SPEAKER, AND. DO YOU HAVE A MESSAGE FOR HIM. AND OTHER DEMOCRATS CRITICIZING. IT TO MAYBE SEE PAST POLITICS.

FOR BIPARTISAN SOLUTION? >> WHAT YOU JUST SAID IS. PERFECT. WE NEED TO SEE PAST POLITICS. AND GET A BIPARTISAN SOLUTION. I WAS LISTENING TO THE NEWS AND. ALL DIFFERENT OUTLETS AND. MAKING SUCH A BIG DEAL OW. PAINFUL THIS WAS AND. CRITICIZING THE AMOUNT OF MONEY. ASKED FOR. YOU EITHER STEP UP TO HOW MUCH. NEEDS TO BE DONE AND WHAT IT. COSTS AND GET IT DONE OR YOU.