Air-Traffic Control Overhaul Needs Billions in Upfront Investment, Transportation Secretary Says
Congress is asked to fund replacement of outdated radar, telecommunications systems and facilities
Key Points
- The Trump administration is aiming to revamp air-traffic control in three to four years, pending congressional funding approval.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says the current system needs billions of dollars
- The FAA faces challenges including outdated technology and staffing shortages, leading to safety concerns and controller fatigue.
The Trump administration can revamp the nation’s air-traffic control system in three to four years if Congress approves billions of dollars in funding, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Thursday.
The Transportation Department outlined a plan to replace antiquated radar, telecommunications equipment, surveillance systems, air-traffic control towers and other facilities. Duffy didn’t share details on the proposed overhaul’s cost, but said it would take “lots of billions.”
A coalition of industry and labor groups said a minimum of $31 billion in additional emergency funding should be appropriated over the next three years.
“The system we have here—it’s not worth saving. It’s too old,” said Duffy, adding that it has been neglected for decades.
Building a brand-new air-traffic control system is “going to take the help of the Congress to make that happen,” he said. “We need all of the money up front.”
Worries about the Federal Aviation Administration’s crumbling infrastructure, outdated technology and strained staffing have been percolating for years. Concern has grown acute in recent months after a series of close calls and other mishaps.
“The ancient infrastructure is buckling under the weight of more than a billion flying passengers a year,” said President Trump, who spoke at the press conference by phone.
In January, an Army helicopter collided with an American Airlines regional jet preparing to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, killing 67 people. The accident marked the end of a 15-year streak without a fatal U.S. airline passenger plane crash. Families of the victims of that crash were in the audience at Thursday’s announcement.
Last week, Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey was thrown into disarray after radar and radios went out for about 90 seconds. The incident—which wasn’t the first such outage—rattled controllers. Some sought short-term, trauma-related leave, exacerbating problems at the already thinly staffed Philadelphia facility that oversees Newark’s airspace.
At the press conference, Duffy pointed to equipment he said looked as though it came from the set of “Apollo 13” or the Smithsonian, rather than a modern tower. Unless aging systems are replaced, he said the problems at Newark could crop up around the country.
“If we don’t actually accomplish the mission that we’re announcing today…you’ll see Newarks in other parts of the country,” he said.
Duffy was joined by the chief executives of airline operators United, American, Delta, and JetBlue as well as other representatives of industry and labor groups. Lawmakers, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas), said at Thursday’s event that they would work to pull off the overhaul.
“Let’s get this done,” JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty said.
Last year, the Biden administration asked Congress for $8 billion in additional funding over five years to make improvements, such as replacing air-traffic control facilities and modernizing radar systems. Lawmakers didn’t act on the request.
A House spending bill this year has allocated $12.5 billion for upgrades.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D., Ill.) said she was encouraged that the administration recognized the urgency of modernizing air-traffic control, but expressed skepticism in light of staffing cuts at the agency earlier this year. Controllers weren’t among those let go.
FAA officials have worked for years to manage increasingly complex airspace while swapping out older technology for better and newer options. Besides the daily rush of commercial-airline traffic, the agency oversees private rocket launches, sets rules for drone operations and is working to let futuristic air taxis begin flying.
The FAA and its contractors have struggled to carry out multiyear technology overhauls, which often involve systems, companies and varying congressional appropriations. On top of that, priorities typically shift under different elected leaders in Washington and political appointees.
The Trump administration on Thursday pointed to stagnant funding in a key FAA account that pays for sustaining and upgrading air-control infrastructure. It said the FAA has lost purchasing power because of inflation.
Staffing has been a persistent problem. The FAA is 3,000 controllers short of its target. Controllers have complained of fatigue from often having to work 10-hour days, six days a week.