Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg spoke directly to Elon Musk on Friday on the billionaire’s X platform. This was part of an effort to counter false conspiracies about government disaster relief for Hurricane Helene victims that Musk had spread on X, where his follower count is over 200 million.

“No one is closing airspace and the FAA is not blocking legitimate rescue and recovery flights,” Buttigieg wrote. “If you encounter a problem, call me.”

Buttigieg responded to a post by Musk that falsely claimed the Federal Aviation Administration would close airspace in the disaster area and “throttle” flights transporting supplies.

An FAA spokesperson told CNBC: “There are no airspace restrictions in effect in North Carolina as recovery efforts due to Hurricane Helene continue. Pilots wanting to fly into Asheville or Rutherford airports must ask the airport for permission to land. The FAA is responsible for this. “We are working with local authorities to ensure that rescue operations are carried out safely.”

Musk’s false claim was one of several conspiracies Musk spread about federal emergency personnel this week, as tens of thousands of people in the states hit hardest by Helene turn to government agencies for disaster relief.

“@FEMA is not only failing to adequately assist those in difficulty, but is actively blocking citizens who attempt to help!” Musk said in an apparent text message in his social media post.

Federal Emergency Management Agency officials were not immediately available for comment Friday.

Musk has officially endorsed former Republican President Donald Trump and has become a major donor to the Republican Party in recent years.

On Friday, Trump amplified Musk’s false claims about FEMA and FAA on Trump’s own social media platform Truth Social, where he posted them without comment to his nearly eight million followers.

Musk’s SpaceX and its Starlink satellite internet services brand have previously said they would send about 500 Starlink kits donated by individuals and organizations to help with Helene’s recovery efforts. They also made Starlink internet service free for 30 days for users in Helene-ravaged areas.

This comes after FEMA previously announced it would deploy SpaceX’s Starlink terminals to bring internet service to remote areas affected by the storm.

Musk often uses

He previously threatened to sue the Federal Aviation Administration, attacked the Environmental Protection Agency over its punishment of SpaceX and blasted other federal agencies.

Musk’s SpaceX depends on federal agencies for billions of dollars in annual revenue, and his automaker Tesla has benefited generously from federal programs that gave the company a key loan, tax breaks and other subsidies and incentives.

People who suffered loss or damage from Tropical Storm Helene in certain counties can apply for federal assistance through the FEMA app, which can be downloaded from the Apple Store or Google Play Store, by visiting DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-1. 800-621-3362.