Former and current U.S. air traffic controllers say the Trump administration's focus on new equipment doesn't address problems like grueling schedules and stagnating pay that are hurting morale.
The ruling comes ahead of a grant application deadline on June 20, which would have required states to agree to enforce the Trump administration's immigration agenda or lose transportation funding.
The fragile state of the U.S. air traffic control system was easy to see during the recent outages in Newark. But it will be a lot harder to make up for decades of underinvestment and other mistakes.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy praised airport officials, unions and workers for completing the estimated 60-day project 13 days early. The Newark airport has been hobbled by delays.
