Robert Besser
27 Mar 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C.: With flight delays rising and aviation safety under scrutiny, the U.S. government is preparing a sweeping modernization plan to overhaul the nation's air traffic control infrastructure.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that he will unveil the plan this week, outlining a multi-year effort to fix the outdated and understaffed Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) system, which has struggled to keep up with growing demand and technological change.

Duffy said he had briefed President Donald Trump on the proposal. Trump wants "to create a state-of-the-art, brand new air control system" and supports the reform plan.

The initiative comes amid mounting concerns following a string of aviation safety incidents, including a deadly January collision between an Army helicopter and a regional airliner that killed 67 people. Industry groups have since called for "robust emergency funding" from Congress to address staffing and technology shortfalls.

Duffy plans to ask Congress for tens of billions of dollars to fund new radar systems, terminals, and safety upgrades and accelerate hiring efforts. The FAA is currently operating with about 3,500 fewer air traffic controllers than needed, and many existing controllers work mandatory overtime and six-day weeks.

"We're going to go to fiber, wireless, and satellite," Duffy said earlier this month, criticizing the pace of telecom upgrades and calling out Verizon for lagging efforts to replace aging copper wire infrastructure.

He also called for phasing out obsolete equipment such as floppy disks and installing new runway safety technology so air traffic controllers don't have to rely on binoculars to track planes on the ground.

A 2023 Government Accountability Office report found that one-third of the FAA's critical systems are unsustainable, with the agency unable to source spare parts for many components. Currently, a quarter of FAA facilities are at least 50 years old and face issues like leaking roofs and failing HVAC systems.

In March 2024, former President Joe Biden proposed spending US$8 billion over five years to modernize 377 radar systems and over 20 air traffic control centers. Duffy's plan appears to build on that proposal with a broader and more urgent scope.