Kirby: This Is the Most Optimistic I’ve Been in My Entire Career About Finally Getting the FAA Fixed

O KEEFE We ve ░░░░░░░░ the transportation secretary in ░░░░░░░░ days call for tens ░░░░░░░░ billions of dollars to ░░░░░░░░ spent at least over ░░░░░░░░ next three to four ░░░░░░░░ to begin that equipment ░░░░░░░░ and retraining of air ░░░░░░░░ controllers He can t ░░░░░░░░ a number on it ░░░░░░░░ House at least has ░░░░░░░░ about 12 5 billion ░░░░░░░░ start But everyone seems ░░░░░░░░ acknowledge it s going ░░░░░░░░ be a lot more ░░░░░░░░ that Is that sufficient ░░░░░░░░ don t you need ░░░░░░░░ now as opposed to ░░░░░░░░ to four years from ░░░░░░░░ KIRBY Well I think ░░░░░░░░ is the most optimistic ░░░░░░░░ have been in my ░░░░░░░░ career about finally getting ░░░░░░░░ FAA fixed I mean ░░░░░░░░ and others in the ░░░░░░░░ industry have been working ░░░░░░░░ this for decades And ░░░░░░░░ think we re finally ░░░░░░░░ ve turned the corner ░░░░░░░░ we have the commitment ░░░░░░░░ s bipartisan It s ░░░░░░░░ It s you know ░░░░░░░░ House administration Secretary Duffy ░░░░░░░░ the board a commitment ░░░░░░░░ getting this fixed We ░░░░░░░░ how to do it ░░░░░░░░ just need the will ░░░░░░░░ actually follow through and ░░░░░░░░ it done O KEEFE ░░░░░░░░ makes you more optimistic ░░░░░░░░ it s going to ░░░░░░░░ done now This has ░░░░░░░░ something they ve been ░░░░░░░░ about since the Bush ░░░░░░░░ at the beginning of ░░░░░░░░ century KIRBY Yes O ░░░░░░░░ And they haven t ░░░░░░░░ able to get it ░░░░░░░░ KIRBY Yes O KEEFE ░░░░░░░░ every few years someone ░░░░░░░░ up with a plan ░░░░░░░░ Well O KEEFE And ░░░░░░░░ guys and everyone in ░░░░░░░░ go oh it s ░░░░░░░░ it s bipartisan it ░░░░░░░░ got everything we need ░░░░░░░░ it goes nowhere So ░░░░░░░░ on earth is it ░░░░░░░░ likely to happen this ░░░░░░░░ KIRBY Yes There s ░░░░░░░░ things that make it ░░░░░░░░ today than in the ░░░░░░░░ One they ve asked ░░░░░░░░ all of the funding ░░░░░░░░ front In the past ░░░░░░░░ s always been a ░░░░░░░░ at a time And ░░░░░░░░ you do things a ░░░░░░░░ at a time especially ░░░░░░░░ government like it just ░░░░░░░░ and starts and stops ░░░░░░░░ starts You can t ░░░░░░░░ these big projects like ░░░░░░░░ company would try to ░░░░░░░░ big projects a year ░░░░░░░░ a time So this ░░░░░░░░ they re going to ░░░░░░░░ for all the money ░░░░░░░░ front which lets you ░░░░░░░░ the entire project and ░░░░░░░░ the entire project done ░░░░░░░░ the second thing is ░░░░░░░░ You know we have ░░░░░░░░ secretary who s action ░░░░░░░░ who s committed to ░░░░░░░░ this done and an ░░░░░░░░ administrator that hopefully will ░░░░░░░░ approved soon.”