1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

The LaGuardia crash that killed two pilots and injured dozens happened because we've been running the FAA on fumes. You need to fully fund controller hiring and the equipment modernization that's been delayed for a decade. The FAA is 3,000 controllers short of what's needed. Nineteen of the largest facilities are staffed 15% or more below target, and those facilities alone account for 40% of flight delays nationwide. At LaGuardia, one controller was working both runway and ground positions simultaneously when two emergencies hit at once. The system set him up to fail, and people died. Training a controller takes 18 months to four years. Airways facilities staff that are needed to keep all of the systems running need more than a year of training and are similarly short staffed across the country. We can't replace retirees fast enough, let alone grow capacity for increasing air traffic. Meanwhile, newer controllers are driving for rideshare companies during budget showdowns just to pay their bills. Some facilities are still using radar equipment with lineage back to World War II. DOGE cuts and shutdowns have damaged the agency when it needed investment most. Congress must raise controller pay, accelerate hiring, and fund the infrastructure upgrades that have been planned but never executed. Taking care of the people who make this system work is the first priority. Anything less invites another tragedy.