Overview

• The Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center lost primary and backup radio frequencies for 90 seconds on May 12, affecting communication with up to 20 aircraft.
• Air traffic controllers used emergency frequencies to maintain safe aircraft separation, and no operational impacts or accidents occurred.
• The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation into the cause of the outage, which is the latest in a series of equipment failures across the U.S.
• Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy emphasized the urgent need for a multi-billion-dollar modernization plan to replace outdated systems, including 618 radars and copper wiring.
• The FAA remains understaffed by nearly 3,000 air traffic controllers, compounding operational challenges and raising concerns about long-term safety and reliability.