In December, a system error at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) caused hundreds of aircraft delays across the United States. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg stated that his agency is responsible for cleaning up the mess. Americans are enraged by what appears to be an out-of-control government.

As a result of last week’s difficulties with the Federal Aviation Administration’s Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system, which caused flight delays across the country, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg is under fire and under examination. However, while many critics have been quick to lay blame at Pete’s feet, there is an important context that has been otherwise unreported, prospect media reported, adding:

“Until last spring, the FAA was overseen by a Trump appointee named Steve Dickson. Dickson is a former Delta executive who, as FAA chief, was running the agency that regulated Delta and its competitors. Unfortunately, that sort of revolving-door arrangement is not at all uncommon for the FAA, which has a history of regulatory capture. The buddy-buddy relationship between the FAA and the industry it oversees was so extreme that the House of Representatives—not known for its heavy scrutiny of industry lobbying—voted unanimously to create a whistleblower office within the FAA insulated from the administrator.”

This whistleblower protection was especially crucial with Dickson at the helm, considering his alleged retribution against a whistleblower who raised safety concerns at Delta while he was a Delta executive. Dickson compelled her to consult a doctor, who diagnosed her with bipolar disorder, after a Delta pilot filed a report detailing safety concerns and what she thought likely FAA code breaches. This diagnosis was rejected by a panel of Mayo Clinic physicians. Following the incident, the FAA validated one of the pilot’s assertions.

But under Dickson, we did not witness the major difficulties that we experienced under Buttigieg, and he is attempting to appear capable.

“When there’s a problem with a government system, we’re going to own it, we’re going to find it, and we’re going to fix it,” stated Buttigieg immediately after the system was fully restored and normal travel operations resumed.

Buttigeg stated that there is no evidence to suggest that it was a cyberattack,” WIBC reported a week ago.

“We’re not prepared to rule that out. There hasn’t been any indication of that. The FBI and FAA are looking closely at that,” Buttigieg told the reporters in early January.

WIBC went on:

“Buttigieg says the system is periodically updated and upgraded, although he wonders if the system is efficient enough moving forward.

“Is everything set up for what we know is going to be a period of continued change and continued rising demand and pressure? We also have to make sure we know everything there is to understand about the situation so that something like that never happens again,” said Buttigieg.

Buttigieg would like to see layers of protection get added.”

More on this story via The Republic Brief:

Republicans have criticized Buttigeg. Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton said Buttigieg “was never remotely qualified for this role.” Texas Congressman Troy Nehls asked if Buttigieg was “on vacation again.” CONTINUE READING…