FAA investigates critical communication outage at Denver airport

In the United States, a recent incident at Denver International Airport raised significant concerns about air traffic safety. On Monday, May 12, 2025, air traffic controllers temporarily lost communication with as many as 20 aircraft for approximately 90 seconds due to failure of both main and backup radio transmitters. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) acknowledged that this was part of a broader issue impacting air traffic control systems nationwide, attributed to aging infrastructure and staffing limitations. The loss of communication also involved controllers being forced to resort to emergency frequency channels to relay necessary instructions to pilots, ensuring aircraft remained safely separated during the event. While there were no operational impacts reported due to the outage, the situation prompted urgent calls for modernization of air traffic control systems, which have faced criticism for their outdated technology. This incident comes on the heels of similar outages at Newark Liberty International Airport, which has experienced several communication and radar failures in the preceding weeks, underscoring the urgent need for FAA interventions. Critics, including members of Congress, have expressed frustration over ongoing safety issues stemming from antiquated systems that seem to have plagued U.S. aviation for years. There seems to be an alarming trend of increasing outages affecting air traffic control, with representatives emphasizing that these failures cannot continue to jeopardize the safety of the flying public. Meetings between the FAA and airlines to discuss operational improvements and staffing needs are ongoing. Federal officials, including Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, have emphasized the need for substantial investment in new technologies and staff training to prevent similar incidents in the future.