Elon Musk said Thursday that Verizon’s efforts to provide a critically needed upgrade to the FAA’s air traffic control system is failing. And he said that it is important that Starlink, a unit of his SpaceX satellite and rocket company,

Elon Musk said Thursday that Verizon’s efforts to provide a critically needed upgrade to the FAA’s air traffic control system is failing. And he said that it is important that Starlink, a unit of his SpaceX satellite and rocket company,

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Billionaire presidential adviser Elon Musk on Thursday said a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration communications system operated by Verizon is months away from failure and putting air safety at risk.

Starlink satellite terminals and other equipment have already been installed in FAA facilities as a prelude to its potential takeover of the $2 billion contract — won by Verizon in 2023 — government employees and contractors told the news service.

The agency is said to favor awarding the contract work to Starlink, owned by Elon Musk's SpaceX ( SPACE ). This has fueled concerns of conflicts of interest in government projects, as Musk heads DOGE - the department that President Donald Trump has tasked with reducing federal spending.

The FAA is reportedly considering canceling a $2.4 billion Verizon contract for air traffic control upgrades because Musk's team wants SpaceX's Starlink business to handle it.

Without citing evidence, Musk said the air traffic control communication system managed by L3Harris is “breaking down” and "the situation is extremely dire."

The FAA is testing Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service. That could raise a possible conflict of interest, experts say.

CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig sharply denounced DOGE chief Elon Musk's efforts to get the Federal Aviation Administration to break its contract with Verizon and use his company SpaceX instead, calling the idea a "flagrant" conflict of interest.