Trump Declares Proposed Systems Mean ‘You Wouldn’t Even Need Pilots’

President touts new ATC replacement equipment as ‘unbelievable.’

Caleb Revill

Thursday, May 08, 2025 at 05:41 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

President Donald Trump speaks [Shutterstock/Chip Somodevilla]

Key Takeaways:

President Trump praised the capabilities of proposed new air traffic control (ATC) systems, suggesting they are so advanced that pilots might not even be necessary, though he emphasized he still wants them.
He criticized the existing FAA system as outdated (50 years old), inefficient, and excessively expensive due to piecemeal upgrades, claiming it led his pilots to use "another country's system" while flying him in the U.S.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy supported Trump's comments, thanking him for advocating for the ATC system overhaul.

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President Donald Trump said that pilots may not even be needed with the new proposed air traffic control systems.

The comment was made in an apparent gaffe in which the president then doubled down upon while speaking to reporters on Thursday. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy shared the video clip on social media Thursday afternoon, thanking the president for supporting the air traffic control (ATC) system overhaul.