Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy dismissed rumors that a deadly runway crash at New York's LaGuardia Airport resulted from a lack of air traffic controllers. Speaking at a press conference on March 23, 2026, Duffy stated the airport is well-staffed, with more than one controller on duty during the incident. The collision involved Air Canada flight 8646 and a Port Authority fire truck late on March 22.
A deadly collision occurred late Sunday night at LaGuardia Airport between Air Canada flight 8646 and a Port Authority fire truck. On Monday, March 23, 2026, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, flanked by New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D-NY) and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D), addressed reporters about the incident. He deferred most questions to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is leading the investigation, but directly rebutted claims of understaffing in air traffic control (ATC). Several reports featured ATC audio where a controller called for the fire truck to stop, later saying he had 'messed up,' with another voice noting he had done 'the best he could.' Duffy responded to a reporter's question about rumors of only one controller on duty: 'I told you I am not going to talk about specifics, but for that question, I will say that is inaccurate.' He added, 'As airports go, LaGuardia is a well-staffed airport … I did want to clarify, I have heard the rumor there was only on controller in the tower and that is not accurate.' According to Duffy, LaGuardia has 33 certified controllers, with a goal of 37, and more than one was on duty at the time of the crash. He emphasized efforts to retain experienced controllers and train new ones to address vacancies nationwide. Duffy urged Congress to approve additional funding, stating, 'There is bipartisan agreement so they should come together and figure out a way to give us the rest of the dollars to complete the job,' noting aviation safety should not be partisan.
