Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg spoke directly with Elon Musk on Friday at the X billion forum, which is part of an effort to fight the false conspiracy about the disaster relief for the victims of Hurricane Helene that Musk is spreading on X, where the number of his followers is more than 200 million.
“Nobody is closing the airspace and the FAA is not blocking legitimate rescue and recovery flights,” Buttigieg wrote. “If you run into a problem, call me.”
Buttigieg was responding to a message from Musk who falsely claimed that the Federal Aviation Administration was closing airspace to the disaster area and “stressed” cargo planes.
An FAA spokesperson told CNBC, “There are no airspace restrictions in North Carolina as rescue efforts continue due to Hurricane Helene. Pilots who want to enter the Asheville or Rutherford airports need to access the airport to obtain a landing permit. The The FAA is working with local authorities to ensure that rescue efforts are carried out safely.”
Musk’s bogus claim is one of many conspiracy theories Musk has spread about emergency workers this week, as tens of thousands of people turn to federal agencies for disaster relief in states hit hard by Helene.
“@FEMA is not only failing to adequately help people in need, they are blocking citizens who are trying to help!” Musk said in a visual message on his social media.
Representatives of the Federal Emergency Management Agency were not immediately available for comment Friday.
Musk endorsed former Republican President Donald Trump, and has become a major donor to the GOP in recent years.
On Friday, Trump amplified Musk’s false claims about FEMA and the FAA on Trump’s social media platform, Truth Social, where he posted them without comment to his nearly 8 million followers.
Musk’s SpaceX and its satellite internet service brand Starlink previously said they would send about 500 Starlink kits, donated by private individuals and organizations, to help with efforts to find Helene. They also made Starlink internet service free for users for 30 days in areas devastated by Helene.
This was after FEMA had previously announced that it would send SpaceX’s Starlink terminals to bring internet services to remote areas hit by the storm.
Musk often uses X to provoke — but when he criticized FEMA on Friday, he escalated his battle with the US government.
In the past, he has threatened to sue the Federal Aviation Administration, attacked the Environmental Protection Agency for punishing SpaceX, and attacked other government agencies.
Musk’s SpaceX depends on federal agencies for billions of dollars in annual revenue, and his automaker Tesla has benefited handsomely from federal programs that have given the company valuable loans, tax breaks and other grants and subsidies.
People who lost or were injured as a result of Tropical Storm Helene in designated counties can apply for federal assistance using the FEMA app, which can be downloaded from the Apple Store or Google Play Store, by visiting DisasterAssistance.gov, or by calling 1-800-621 -3362.