With Memorial Day weekend approaching, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said travelers planning to fly should be prepared for their trip to take longer than usual.

Similar to last summer, there is currently a nationwide shortage of air traffic controllers, which will “take time” to replenish, according to Duffy. As of now, around 3,000 positions need to be filled.

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“And so you might complain about delays, which I agree, traveling with a family in this environment is challenging, but in the end, I want to make sure you get to the place that you’re going and you get there safely,” Duffy said on CNBC’s Squawk Box.

One airport that has gained recent attention due to air traffic controller shortages and other technical problems is Newark Liberty International in New Jersey. However, Duffy said the problems in Newark cannot be fixed by transferring controllers from other airports, especially when all air traffic control towers are operating with a skeleton crew, and will be for the foreseeable future.

“If you have a controller who, say, works in the D.C. airspace, they’ve been in the job for 20 years, they’re experienced, if you move them up to Newark, it takes them almost a year to get trained up on that specific airspace,” Duffy said. “So I just can’t move controllers around the country and fill the gaps in Newark. It’s a specifically trained controller that can work that airspace.”

Duffy said the lack of air traffic controllers is putting “more pressure on the system,” resulting in planes taking longer to land to maintain safety. He added that in extreme cases, when an airspace is unsafe, it will be shut down, which he acknowledged is not what travelers want to deal with during their getaways.

Several factors have contributed to the lack of air traffic controllers, Duffy said, including the Federal Aviation Administration‘s academy not reopening quickly after the COVID-19 pandemic and the academy’s trouble admitting younger people. Despite this, Duffy noted that one solution being implemented is expanding the academy’s capacity to get more air traffic controllers into the airspace.

Duffy also addressed the “1980s-esque” equipment the flight industry uses. He stressed that updated technology is needed to fulfill the industry’s mission of keeping passengers safe. One step being taken is laying fiber lines at Newark Liberty Airport to improve communication. However, Duffy said airport systems are adjusting to keeping up with improved speeds because they are used to copper, not fiber.

DUFFY ‘CONCERNED’ ABOUT ‘WHOLE AIRSPACE’ IN WAKE OF NEWARK AIRPORT DISRUPTIONS

Last week, Duffy unveiled a plan to overhaul the air travel industry’s infrastructure drastically. He said the “matter” would be “challenging” but could be accomplished in three to four years.

Over the weekend, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby praised Duffy for being a “leading gold star” in protecting critical jobs from government cuts by the Trump administration. Kirby also expressed confidence that modernizing infrastructure can be done because the administration asks for funding “upfront” rather than on a yearly basis.