U.S. Airspace Now At Risk?

On Sunday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reassured the public that the United States maintains “the safest airspace in the world” and that air travel remains the safest mode of transportation in the country. Duffy’s remarks came during an interview on CNN’s State of the Union, where he addressed recent concerns following two major aviation accidents.

“We’ve had some incidents, and while they understandably shake the confidence of the American people, it’s important to remember that these are outliers,” Duffy explained. “Air travel, in general, continues to be incredibly safe, and we are working tirelessly to ensure that remains the case.”

Duffy’s comments followed two tragic crashes in just one week: a mid-air collision in the Washington, D.C. metro area involving an American Airlines flight and an Army Black Hawk helicopter, as well as a crash involving an air ambulance in Northeast Philadelphia. In both cases, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the causes of the accidents.

The NTSB confirmed Thursday that it had recovered flight data recorders from the D.C. crash, which will help determine exactly what went wrong. Duffy emphasized that ensuring safe and efficient travel is the top priority of the Biden administration. “Getting people from point A to point B safely is mission-critical,” he said. “We are committed to enhancing aviation safety even further.”

Former President Donald Trump weighed in on the D.C. crash, claiming it could have been avoided. On Truth Social, he criticized the failure to prevent the helicopter from heading directly into the flight path of the plane, saying, “It’s a clear night, the plane’s lights were on—why didn’t the helicopter avoid it? Why didn’t air traffic control intervene sooner?”

While the accidents are concerning, Duffy’s message serves as a reminder that U.S. airspace remains one of the safest in the world, and ongoing investigations will bring clarity on what went wrong.