Overview

• The FAA is reportedly considering canceling a $2.4 billion contract with Verizon to modernize air traffic control communications and awarding it to Starlink, owned by Elon Musk.
• FAA staff were allegedly instructed verbally to locate funding for a Starlink deal, raising concerns about transparency and the lack of a paper trail.
• Critics, including Democratic lawmakers, have called the potential deal a conflict of interest due to Musk's dual role as SpaceX CEO and his leadership position in the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
• Elon Musk has publicly criticized the current air traffic control system, initially blaming Verizon before correcting his statement to identify L3Harris as the system's operator.
• The FAA recently received 4,000 Starlink terminals, which Musk claims were provided at no cost to taxpayers to address connectivity issues, though the agency has not confirmed a final decision on the Verizon contract.