Elon Musk has announced that his self-proclaimed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will make changes to the air traffic control system following two recent deadly plane crashes in the US. Musk, who has been operating DOGE as an unofficial government department, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that he and DOGE have the support of former President Donald Trump and "will be pursuing rapid air traffic control safety improvements."
Musk cited a weekend incident where the Federal Aviation Administration's safety notification system "failed for several hours." Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the incident and stated that Musk's team "will be connecting to help modernize the aviation system."
The specific changes Musk and DOGE intend to implement are unclear, and the White House did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.
Last week, an American Airlines plane collided with a Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., killing all 67 people on board both aircraft. Trump and Vice President JD Vance blamed diversity initiatives for the incident.
In recent days, Musk's DOGE team has gained significant authority within the federal government, obtaining access to the Treasury's payment processing system and taking control of the U.S. Agency for International Development, sparking outrage among Democratic lawmakers.
Musk operates DOGE as an unofficial government department without Congressional approval, effectively holding the position of a "special status government employee." This allows him to bypass several verification processes.