The Department of Transportation under Pete Buttigieg spent $80 billion on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) grants while the agency delayed the upgrades of air traffic control, according to a report from the New York Post.

Buttigieg, who is also considered to be a contender for the 2028 presidential race, at one point told industry executives that upgrades to air traffic control would allow more planes to fly, “so why would that be in his interest?,” sources told the outlet.

Records reviewed by the outlet showed that Buttigieg was much more interested in handing out $80 billion in DEI grants over the four years he was in the cabinet role. “He was definitely pushing an agenda,” one industry official told the outlet, and added that Buttigieg had “little to no interest” in modernizing the air traffic control system.

The sources said that Buttigieg spent a great deal of his time blaming airlines for delays as well as “vilifying” the industry while leaving the old traffic control system that has not been updated since the Carter administration in place, the report stated, citing sources.

“At first, [the Department of Transportation] and he were reluctant to say there was an air traffic controller shortage or that the shortage had anything to do with flight delays or flight cancellations,” another air industry official said.

A spokesman for Buttigieg rejected the claims from the Post and pointed to more hiring in the air traffic control space as well as software changes, and new flight routes as evidence for his work at the Department of Transportation.

“Suggesting that Secretary Buttigieg chose not to pursue air traffic control modernization is absurd,” spokesman Chris Meagher said, and added, “Secretary Buttigieg’s focus was always on safety — not just in aviation, but also on roads and bridges, where 40,000 Americans die on our country’s roads each year. Fixing issues with air traffic control was a priority.” He also pointed to the Biden administration’s $5 billion in funding for air traffic control facilities and power systems.

Officials in the airline industry, while speaking to the Post, said that much of Biden’s infrastructure funding for aviation “went to maintenance” of facilities as well as equipment instead of “modernization.”