Senate Committee Approves $22B Boost for FAA

Money would be used to train air traffic controllers and replace aging equipment.

Zach Vasile

Thursday, July 24, 2025 at 05:45 PM ET

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Zach Vasile

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

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee approved a spending plan allocating $22 billion to the FAA for FY 2026.
This funding is earmarked to train approximately 2,500 new air traffic controllers and begin a multi-year overhaul of the agency's aging infrastructure and equipment.
The FAA's modernization effort is part of a larger Trump administration plan, outlined by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, to upgrade the entire ATC system, end staffing shortages, and build new facilities over three years, with an estimated total cost of $31.5 billion.

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The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday approved a spending plan that would channel $22 billion to the FAA to help train more air traffic controllers and start a years-long overhaul of the agency’s aging infrastructure.

The funding includes $13.8 billion for operations, $4 billion for facilities and equipment, $4 billion for grants-in-aid to U.S. airports, and $290 million for research and development. A portion of the operations money would be used to train about 2,500 controllers, roughly the number needed to return the national ATC system to full staffing.