Department of Transportation records and airline industry sources show that under former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the agency funneled more than $80 billion into diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives while delaying critical air traffic control system modernization, as reported by The New York Post.
Federal data reviewed from 2021 to 2024 indicates that nearly 400 DEI-related grants were awarded by the Department of Transportation during Buttigieg’s tenure, a substantial increase from the 60 similar grants awarded under the previous administration.
The funding, drawn heavily from the Biden administration’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure law, accounted for over half of the DOT’s annual budget across several fiscal years.
Airline officials told The Post that Buttigieg demonstrated “little to no interest” in advancing air traffic control modernization efforts.
One executive recounted a meeting in which Buttigieg reportedly remarked that system upgrades would just help airlines “fly more planes,” questioning how that served his interests.
The failure to prioritize modernization left the FAA reliant on systems dating back to the Carter administration, contributing to staffing shortages and travel disruptions. “He was definitely pushing an agenda,” an industry official stated.
In April 2024, a coalition of aviation trade associations sent an urgent letter to DOT leadership, warning that at the FAA’s current hiring pace, it could take nearly 90 years to fully staff critical air traffic control centers in the New York region.
Hellbound and Down 