"I’m concerned about the whole airspace": Transportation sec. says flight disruptions could spread

Don't be surprised if the delays, cancellations and safety concerns that have affected Newark Liberty International Airport in recent weeks spread to the rest of the U.S.

That's according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who on Sunday said "antiquated systems" at major airports across the country need a multibillion-dollar overhaul. 

For the second time in two weeks, air traffic controllers on Friday briefly lost the radar of planes flying into the New Jersey airport, The Associated Press reported. On Sunday, the FAA reported a “telecommunications issue” at a facility in Philadelphia that directs planes in and out of Newark. 

Duffy told NBC's "Meet the Press" he plans to reduce the number of flights at the airport over the “next several weeks."

“What you see in Newark is going to happen in other places across the country,” Duffy said. “It has to be fixed.”

“I’m concerned about the whole airspace," he added. 

The FAA has blamed equipment failures and staffing shortages for the issues at Newark. The agency warned travelers that some flights arriving there on Sunday were delayed by an average of two and half hours, The New York Times reported.

There have been headaches at other major airports. An equipment outage on Sunday prompted a ground stop for more than an hour at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia, The Times reports. 

Duffy said upgrades to communication and technology are needed nationwide, along with six new air traffic control centers. To increase staff, he wants to raise the mandatory retirement age for air traffic controllers from 56 to 61 and offer a 20% bonus to keep working.

“These are not overnight fixes,” Duffy said. 

The strategy runs counter to the gutting of the federal government the Trump administration has preferred. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby told CBS’ “Face the Nation” that FAA safety personnel have been protected from DOGE's chainsaw. 

“Safety is number one, and so I’m not worried about safety. I am worried about customer delays and impacts," said Kirby, whose airline has reduced flights at Newark.