The Federal Aviation Administration has agreed to use SpaceX’s Starlink internet system to upgrade the information technology networks it uses to manage US airspace, raising new concerns about conflicts of interest for CEO Elon Musk in one of his other roles, that of recommending funding cuts at federal agencies, including the FAA.
The size of this contract was not immediately reported. SpaceX is a privately held space technology company greatly dependent on federal contracts, primarily from NASA. Its Starlink satellite internet provides service for government and private customers around the world.
The contract comes while Musk is leading efforts to make deep cuts in federal government spending, including staffing cuts at the FAA, and some critics are raising questions about conflicts of interest over his role overseeing government agencies that are supposed to be regulating his businesses.
Musk, a key supporter of President Donald Trump during the last election, is heading the Department of Government Efficiency, making moves to cut federal staff in the name of eliminating waste and fraud.
The FAA in a post on Musk’s social media platform X disclosed Monday night that it is testing one Starlink terminal at its Atlantic City, New Jersey, facility, and two in what it called “non-safety critical sites” in Alaska.
“Alaska has long had issues with reliable weather information for the aviation community,” it said in the post. “The 2024 FAA reauthorization required the FAA to fix telecommunications connections to fix those needs.”
The FAA’s use of Starlink was first reported by Bloomberg. That report said it would eventually include 4,000 Starlink terminals and be deployed over the next 12 to 18 months.
There is no dispute that the FAA’s various computer and communications systems are badly in need of an upgrade. A December report by the Government Accountability Office was entitled “Urgent FAA actions are needed to modernize aging systems.”
Soon after the fatal crash of a military helicopter and a regional jet on final approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that he had had discussions with Musk and that he was going to help the FAA “remake our airspace” and “do it quickly.”
The FAA already has a contract with Verizon to upgrade its information technology networks. In a post on X Monday, Musk said “The Verizon system is not working and so is putting air travelers at serious risk.”
Verizon defended the quality of the work it is doing for the FAA.
“Verizon is bringing the nation’s most reliable network to the FAA at a time when critical infrastructure and technology enhancements are needed most,” Verizon spokesman Rich Young said in a statement to CNN.
