As reported by Rolling Stone, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees received instructions on Friday to secure tens of millions of dollars for a deal with Starlink. This development comes after The Washington Post reported that the FAA might cancel its $2.4 billion contract with Verizon to upgrade the US airspace management systems, potentially opting for Elon Musk’s company instead. However, it has not been publicly confirmed whether the FAA has officially dropped its Verizon deal in favor of Starlink.

According to anonymous sources cited by Rolling Stone, the instructions from FAA officials on Friday were given verbally, which is an unusual approach. This comes a few days after Elon Musk stated on X that the current air traffic control communication situation is “extremely dire,” claiming the existing system is “breaking down very rapidly.” Initially, he attributed the system to Verizon, but later provided a correction. Musk further stated that Starlink terminals are being sent at no cost to taxpayers on an emergency basis to restore air traffic control connectivity.

Bloomberg previously reported, citing sources familiar with the matter, that 4,000 Starlink terminals are being sent to help upgrade the FAA’s networks, which the FAA has confirmed. In a statement posted on X, the FAA claimed it has been considering the use of Starlink since the previous administration. However, as recently as Wednesday, the FAA stated that it had not made a decision about its Verizon deal in comments to The Washington Post and other publications.

The FAA is among the agencies affected by the layoffs led by Musk’s DOGE over the last few weeks, with hundreds of FAA employees having been fired in February.