'Check, one two': Technical glitch hits US presser on air travel chaos
Trump administration officials were left red-faced on Saturday when their public effort to address the massive tech disruption that grounded thousands of US flights was itself hit with embarrassing technical glitches. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy took the podium and began addressing a much-anticipated and televised press conference a day after a disastrous nationwide ground stop across…
The Trump administration faced a series of embarrassing technical failures during a televised press conference aimed at addressing widespread flight disruptions in the United States. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy commenced the press briefing, only to be interrupted by a deep, echoing hum emanating from the microphones and speakers.
Duffy, visibly unsettled, paused, looked around, and stepped away from the podium. He apologized for the technical mishap, stating, "Check one two, three four, five six seven?" as technicians raced to replace microphones and reconfigure cables.
The awkward delay lasted an agonizing three minutes, captured live by US networks. Duffy's composure shifted as more technical issues emerged, including brittle feedback that further disrupted the proceedings. Despite the disruptions, Duffy continued the briefing, joined by the head of the Federal Aviation Administration, Bryan Bedford, and the FAA's chief technology officer, Rebecca Guy.
The officials repeatedly criticized the transition from outdated 1970s and 1980s air traffic control technology to newer systems, pointing to systemic issues plaguing the transition. The technical failures during the press conference highlighted the challenges of modernizing critical infrastructure in the face of significant disruptions.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
