Donald Trump turned heads earlier this week when he made the controversial choice to accept an aircraft worth $400 million from Qatar as a gift. It comes in the same week that the Federal Aviation Administration admitted that they were relying on eBay and 3D printing in order to get the parts required for its outdated system.
During a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on Thursday United States Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, told members that the FAA has had to turn to eBay as “we can’t buy parts for new.” According to CBS News, Duffy explained that “We do try to buy replacement parts on eBay for this really old equipment.”
What’s even worse is the fact that they’re struggling to find the right parts meaning, in some cases they are 3D printing them. “Sometimes, we can’t even buy it on eBay, so we’re trying to use 3D printing to craft replacement parts for the system that we use.”
The FAA’s system is outdated
This comes after Donald Trump made comments earlier this year in which he promised a complete overhaul of air traffic control in the U.S. It started with the gutting of DEI policies but the president also wants to spend the next three years improving the system.
A complete overhaul is absolutely necessary, that much is already clear. Earlier this year the country saw a series of aerial accidents which prove the U.S. is falling behind when it comes to safety in the skies. Shortly after Trump’s attacks on DEI in the FAA we saw a deadly crash between a helicopter and a commercial jet over Washington. The incident was followed by more in the weeks after and just last month we saw yet another helicopter crash occur in New York.
Referring to the current state of the FAA, Sen. Susan Collins warned “We are facing a crisis.” Clearly the system is outdated, but buying replacement parts from eBay, or even 3D printing the necessary parts is a band-aid for the issue at hand.
Trump’s plan is going to cost a lot
The changes could cost billions and would see hundreds of new radars to replace the old ones as well as dozens of new control towers being built. Enacting this would require congress to allocate more funds to the FAA. But while the state of air traffic in the rest of the U.S. is in utter turmoil, Trump is chilling in his brand new luxury sky palace.
The president’s decision to accept the gift from Qatar was met with much criticism from both sides. Avid Trump defender Laura Loomer called it “a stain on the admin.” Either way, it’s just not a good look, especially when these stories about parts being purchased on eBay are showing the world just how underfunded the FAA really is.
Published: May 16, 2025 10:16 am