Florida, United States

United States Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg recently shared that he and SpaceX founder Elon Musk connected over a call regarding the X owner's complaints about government interference in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

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Musk had publicly claimed that the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) was blocking flights into areas affected by the hurricane in North Carolina, where his Starlink satellite system was being deployed to help restore internet connectivity. 

Following these claims, Buttigieg invited Musk to speak directly with him to clarify the situation. 

Musk-Buttigieg connect 

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In an interview on MSNBC's Inside with Jen Psaki, Buttigieg explained that the FAA was not closing down any airspace as alleged. Instead, "there was an issue with pilots who were helping get Starlink equipment to where it needed to be, having the right information". 

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Buttigieg said that after working with local authorities, they "were able to take care of it".

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"He (Musk) took me up on that. He called. We had a conversation. What we found out was actually happening was the FAA was not closing down any airspace," said the Transport secretary.

After their conversation, Musk expressed his appreciation on X (formerly Twitter), thanking Buttigieg for helping to expedite the support flights. 

"Just wanted to note that Sec Buttigieg is on the ball," wrote Musk.

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Initially, Musk had shared a screenshot suggesting that the government was "about to shut down the Air space to 'regulate' the private choppers we are riding in to deliver Starlink and supplies". However, after speaking with Buttigieg, Musk clarified that the situation had been resolved.

Buttigieg also elaborated on how the FAA uses temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) in disaster zones to ensure safety during rescue operations. 

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"Basically what happens is if you have a disaster area, there’s a lot of rescue operations going on. A local airport or fire department or the Coast Guard flying helicopter — somebody like that can request what’s called a TFR".

He stressed that such measures do not shut down airspace, but rather increase coordination to prevent potential collisions during recovery efforts.

"It doesn't shut down the airspace, but it increases the level of coordination that goes on because you want to make sure that that airspace is safe and that you prevent the risk of collisions," he explained.

(With inputs from agencies)