Sean Duffy Wants You to Know That This Wasn’t Sean Duffy’s Fault

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy declined to apologise for a nationwide FAA ground stop that delayed or cancelled flights for hundreds of thousands of travellers. He blamed decades of underinvestment by previous administrations and said responsibility lay across both parties, while critics argued the current administration had not used available modernisation funds quickly enough.

Duffy said an attempted change by FAA contractor L3Harris, replacing copper wire with fibre-optic cable, overloaded the agency’s network, and warned disruptions could recur until the work is completed by the end of 2028. Congress appropriated $12.5 billion for FAA modernisation in 2025; FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said about 38 per cent had been committed or spent and a further $10.1 billion was needed. Senator Chris Van Hollen said he would support additional funding if justified.