There have been a few high-profile aircraft disasters lately, and it's been calling the Federal Aviation Administration's systems into doubt - the air traffic control systems in particular. The air traffic control system relies, it seems, on Verizon Wireless to conduct communications, but that system is proving unreliable. 

Elon Musk has come to the rescue, providing Starlink terminals to short up the FAA's systems at no cost to the taxpayers.

To be clear here, the Verizon communication system to air traffic control is breaking down very rapidly. The FAA assessment is single digit months to catastrophic failure, putting air traveler safety at serious risk.

The Starlink terminals are being sent at NO COST to the… https://t.co/B3XOFZerJB

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 27, 2025

Elon's X post reads in full:

To be clear here, the Verizon communication system to air traffic control is breaking down very rapidly. The FAA assessment is single digit months to catastrophic failure, putting air traveler safety at serious risk.

The Starlink terminals are being sent at NO COST to the taxpayer on an emergency basis to restore air traffic control connectivity.

The situation is extremely dire.

It's beyond obvious that the air traffic control apparatus is important enough to the nation that partisan nonsense should be set aside in favor of just getting things fixed.

See Related: Meanwhile, NBC News Aviation 'Expert' Blames Toronto Plane Crash on... Donald Trump and Elon Musk

WATCH: Delta CEO Schools Gayle King After She Tries to Implicate Trump in Toronto Plane Crash

The thread goes back to a piece in The Daily Beast:

The Federal Aviation Administration is close to canceling a $2.4 billion contract with Verizon to provide vital air traffic control services in favor of Elon Musk’s Starlink, according to the Washington Post. Experts say giving Musk’s company the contract would add to existing conflicts of interests created by his closeness with President Donald Trump and his role at the cost-cutting DOGE organization. Employees from SpaceX, Starlink’s parent company, are currently working inside the FAA under instructions from Musk and the Trump administration to upgrade the agency’s technology.

Here's the onion in The Daily Beast's coverage:

“Who’s looking out for the public interest here when you get the person who’s cutting budgets and personnel from the FAA, suddenly trying to benefit from still another government contract?” said John P. Pelissero, director of an ethics center at Santa Clara University, speaking to the Post.

Isn't the efficient operation of the air traffic control system in the public interest? Isn't passenger safety in air travel in the public interest? And trying to tell us that there's no waste to be cut from the FAA is much like having someone initiate micturition down your back and telling you it's raining.

This has to be fixed, and it has to be fixed yesterday. The left will no doubt shriek even louder about a company owned by Elon Musk, now a senior advisor to the president of the United States, getting such a contract. And, candidly, yes, the terms of that contract had better be bullet-proof and above board. But is there a better alternative? Starlink, as we understand it, provides reliable global coverage. That seems ideal for the air traffic control system and for airliners as well. At least one major U.S. airline is already installing Starlink on its airliners. That was a decision made by the airline, not forced on them by the government, and we can hope that they did their due diligence and determined that Starlink was the best option.

If Starlink is the best solution, then it's the best solution. That should be the only consideration.