AFP reported that microphone feedback interrupted Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s Saturday briefing on a flight shutdown that had grounded thousands of U.S. flights the previous day.
The earlier U.S. flight disruption was blamed on aging technology, AFP reported. Duffy and Bryan Bedford, head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), said replacing air traffic control equipment dating to the 1970s and 1980s posed systemic challenges. FAA Chief Technology Officer Rebecca Guy also attended. Duffy said it was Guy’s first press conference with him.
A deep, echoing hum came through the microphones and speakers as Duffy spoke at the Transportation Department headquarters in Washington. He paused to check the sound and stepped aside while technicians replaced microphones and adjusted cables. Duffy apologized as they worked. Feedback returned seconds after he resumed, AFP reported. He asked, “This is not operational?” before saying, “This is our kind of, uh, day.” U.S. television networks carried the roughly three-minute pause live.
