Scathing Reports Reveal FAA Understaffing, Outdated Systems, and Political Blame Game

A barrage of criticism has been leveled against the Biden administration concerning the state of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), particularly its struggles with understaffing, outdated systems, and the resulting impact on air travel safety and efficiency. The critique comes amidst ongoing transportation issues, with some pointing out the apparent silence of certain Democrats who previously criticized the Trump administration for similar challenges.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, among others, has accused the Trump administration of undermining the federal government and specifically decimating the FAA. He attributed recent flight cancellations at Newark Liberty International Airport to the alleged mismanagement during Trump’s tenure. However, data and reports paint a more complex picture, suggesting that the FAA’s problems predate the Trump administration and have persisted, and even worsened, under Biden’s leadership.

Contrasting the number of air accidents, the initial months of the Trump administration showed significantly fewer accidents compared to the Biden administration. Averaging 115 air accidents each April of Biden’s presidency, versus an average of 67 under Trump.

Adding fuel to the fire, a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released in March revealed that the Trump administration inherited an outdated system plagued with "severe shortcomings" from the Biden era. Following Trump’s return to office, the GAO alerted the administration to nine unresolved recommendations previously made to the FAA under the Biden administration, emphasizing the urgent need to address the safety concerns left unaddressed.

The GAO report further stated that the FAA under the Biden administration failed to prioritize or develop short-term plans to modernize critical, yet unsustainable, systems. Additional government reports exposed the FAA’s struggles with severe staffing shortages under Biden’s leadership.

A June 2023 report from the Department of Transportation’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) disclosed that the FAA had "made limited efforts to ensure adequate controller staffing at critical air traffic control facilities." This lack of proactive measures has resulted in ongoing staffing challenges and the absence of a comprehensive plan to address them, posing a significant risk to the continuity of air traffic operations. The OIG’s findings indicated that 77% of critical facilities were staffed below the FAA’s own 85% threshold, with major facilities like the New York Terminal Radar Approach Control and the Miami Tower operating at only 54% and 66% of their required staffing levels, respectively.

Another report from the OIG further highlighted the detrimental effects of the FAA’s "lengthy hiring process and COVID-19 restrictions" on the agency’s ability to onboard and train new air traffic controllers. These factors resulted in a slow trickle of certified controllers entering the workforce, exacerbating the existing staffing shortages.

The repercussions of these issues have been felt in the real world. Politico reported an alarming increase in close calls between commercial jets during January and February 2023, surpassing the combined total of such incidents from the previous five years. A nationwide ground stop, the first of its kind since 9/11, was issued by the FAA on January 11, 2023, due to a system outage affecting the aging air traffic control infrastructure.

A 2025 GAO report found that operational risk assessment discovered that 37% of the 138 air traffic control systems were unsustainable by FAA and 39% were potentially unsustainable. This situation prompted operational risk assessments. The same report found almost 40% of FAA control systems were antiquated, requiring urgent updates.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy minced no words in his criticism of the Biden administration, stating to Fox News Digital, "We’ve known this problem has existed. There have been multiple GAO reports over the last four years saying you have real problems with Air Traffic Control and you should do something with it before it actually fails." He further pointed out that despite the Biden administration’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure package, only a fraction ($5 billion) was allocated to rebuilding air traffic control, and even less ($1 billion) was actually spent. He also accused the administration of prioritizing initiatives like renaming roads and changing terminology over addressing the urgent need for infrastructure improvements.

Duffy asserted that the current administration’s focus on the Air Traffic Control system only began after the DCA crash. Duffy claimed the entire system needs to be redone.

Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) echoed these concerns, taking to X to criticize the FAA’s past hiring practices, decrying the agency’s shift towards "woke" hiring practices. Lee claims FAA hiring under Obama and later Biden prioritized other things over necessary skills. He argued that the FAA has drifted away from its traditional emphasis on hiring individuals with strong math, science, or aviation backgrounds, favoring instead a politically-motivated approach that prioritizes diversity over qualifications.

Both the Biden administration and Representative Jeffries’ offices were contacted by Fox News Digital for comment, but neither provided a response.

The situation surrounding the FAA highlights a complex web of challenges, including outdated infrastructure, staffing shortages, and political infighting. While blame is being assigned across administrations, the undeniable fact remains that the FAA is facing significant hurdles that require immediate and sustained attention to ensure the safety and efficiency of air travel in the United States. The reports suggest a long overdue overhaul to the Air Traffic Control system is dire.