2 Candidates Emerge to Lead Massive ATC Overhaul

Many of the FAA’s usual partners did not bid for the project.

Zach Vasile

Friday, September 26, 2025 at 10:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

An air traffic control tower in San Francisco [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

Only two companies, Peraton and Parsons (partnered with IBM), are vying for the "prime integrator" role to manage the massive upgrade of the nation's aging air traffic control (ATC) system.
Many larger contractors decided not to bid for the lead role, expecting to work as subcontractors, with the FAA aiming to select the winner by the end of October.
The project is a multi-billion-dollar effort, initially funded with $12.5 billion and potentially requiring up to $19 billion to be completed by 2028, driven by the urgency to replace outdated infrastructure and address recent system failures.

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Just two companies are vying for the massive job of upgrading the nation’s aging air traffic control (ATC) system, according to a Reuters report.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford confirmed to the news outlet that only two companies are in the running for the role of “prime integrator,” which will manage the multibillion-dollar project and parcel out work to numerous technology, construction, and logistics subcontractors.