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Sean Duffy has firmly dismissed circulating speculations regarding the staffing of the LaGuardia Airport control tower during a recent tragic incident. The transportation secretary addressed these concerns on Monday, following the collision between an Air Canada plane and a fire truck on a runway, which resulted in the deaths of both the pilot and copilot and left several others injured.
Speaking to the media, Duffy emphasized that LaGuardia Airport is adequately staffed, despite experiencing a shortage of air traffic controllers. He revealed that the airport currently employs 33 certified controllers, though the target is to increase this number to 37. Importantly, he clarified that contrary to some reports, more than one controller was present on duty at the time of the accident.
This clarification came in response to an earlier report by The New York Post, which suggested there was only a single controller in the tower during the incident. Duffy addressed this misinformation during a press conference, stating, “I did want to clarify that I’ve heard the rumor that there was only one controller in the tower and that’s not accurate.”
By setting the record straight, Duffy aims to quell any misconceptions about the airport’s operational capabilities and reassure the public regarding the professionalism and preparedness of the staff at LaGuardia.
‘I did want to clarify that I’ve heard the rumor that there was only one controller in the tower and that’s not accurate,’ he said in a press conference.
Jennifer Homendy, the chairwoman of the NTSB, said later that they did not yet have verified information on how many people were working in the tower at the time, promising to have it by Tuesday.
The secretary – who spoke alongside New York’s Democrat Governor Kathy Hochul and socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani – said the crash was a reminder to always follow safety precautions when flying.
‘When you’re traveling by air, wear your seatbelt. You see the videos of the air crash,’ he added, referring to the runway collision.
‘Wear your seatbelt when you’re on the airplane. As you’ve seen from last night, they do save lives.’
Sean Duffy quashed a rumor that only one person was working in the LaGuardia Airport control tower when an Air Canada plane collided with a fire truck as it crossed a runway at LaGuardia
The transportation secretary spoke Monday to clarify many of the questions about the crash, which killed both the pilot and copilot and injured several others late on Sunday night
Duffy added that further information was pending an investigation by the National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB).
‘I can´t give specifics on what went wrong,’ Duffy said, deferring to the NTSB, which will be holding a separate news conference later on Monday.
Canada also sent a team of investigators.
One of the two pilots killed in the LaGuardia Air Canada crash has been identified as 30-year-old Antoine Forest.
A flight attendant who was hurled 330 feet from the aircraft on Sunday night and survived has also been named as authorities investigate how the plane with 72 passengers on board smashed into a fire truck on the runway at 130mph.
Images from the scene showed the aircraft crumpled on the tarmac after the Montreal flight collided with the airport vehicle at 11.40pm on Sunday.
Air traffic control audio revealed the truck had been cleared to cross the runway for an unrelated issue before controllers urgently ordered it to ‘stop, stop, stop’ moments before impact.
Flight attendant Solange Tremblay survived the impact despite being thrown from the plane. Her daughter, Sarah Lépine, told TVA Nouvelles that Tremblay suffered a broken leg requiring surgery but no other serious injuries.
‘It’s nothing short of a miracle,’ Lépine said, noting her mother had been strapped into her jump seat during the crash.
Duffy said LaGuardia is ‘well-staffed’ but faces a shortage of controllers. He said there are 33 certified controllers but the goal is to have 37. However, more than one controller was on duty at the time of the accident, he noted, disputing rumors which had said otherwise
A Port Authority fire truck lays on its side just off the runway at LaGuardia Airport on Monday
Speaking to reporters in Florida on Monday morning in response to the collision, President Trump said: ‘They made a mistake. It’s a dangerous business. That’s terrible.’
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a statement that the accident was ‘deeply saddening.’
LaGuardia was shut down until the early afternoon due to the crash, forcing thousands of passengers to scramble while airports across the country are facing severe delays due to the Department of Homeland Security shutdown.
The Port Authority identified the two people in the fire truck as Sgt. Michael Orsillo and Officer Adrian Baez.
They suffered injuries not believed to be life-threatening, Garcia said.
One was expected to be released Monday while the other will stay in the hospital for observation, she added.
The fire truck was traveling across the runway to respond to a United Airlines flight, whose pilot had reported ‘an issue with odor,’ said Garcia.
It was the first fatal crash at LaGuardia in 34 years, Garcia said.
There were 72 passengers and four crew members aboard the Jazz Aviation flight operating on behalf of Air Canada, according to the airline.
The flight originated at Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.
Hours after the crash, the plane remained on the runway with its crumpled nose tilted upward.
An Air Canada Jet sits on the runway at LaGuardia Airport Monday after colliding with a Port Authority aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle in New York
The air traffic controller tried to warn the fire truck.
‘Stop, stop, stop, Truck 1. Stop, stop, stop,’ the transmission says. ‘Stop, Truck 1.’ The controller can then be heard frantically diverting an incoming aircraft from landing.
Air traffic controllers are not impacted by the partial government shutdown that has caused long delays at airport security checkpoints in recent days.
They have been affected by past shutdowns. The FAA has been chronically short on air traffic controllers for years.
Former FAA air traffic control chief Mike McCormick said LaGuardia has not had perennial staffing problems, but the tower would have been lightly staffed during the overnight shift at the time of the crash.
LaGuardia is one of 35 major US airports with an advanced surface surveillance system designed to help keep track of planes and vehicles crossing the airport.
An alarm heard in the background of the air traffic control audio was likely from the system and would have alerted the tower to the potential collision, McCormick said.
‘It´s an aid in a situation like this,’ he said, but the system doesn´t know if someone has given clearance for a vehicle to cross a runway.
FAA statistics show there were 1,636 runway incursions last year.