ALPA, NATCA, FAA Call for $20B to Complete ATC Modernization Push

Officials praise progress made over the last year but say more support from Congress is needed.

Zach Vasile

Tuesday, July 21, 2026 at 05:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

An air traffic control tower at John F. Kennedy International Airport (KJFK) in New York. [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

Major aviation organizations (ALPA, NATCA, FAA ATO) are calling for an additional $20 billion to complete the U.S. air traffic control (ATC) system overhaul, bringing the total investment to the original $32 billion plan.
While an initial $12.5 billion has already been used for crucial upgrades like replacing copper wiring with fiber optics, leaders stress this was a "down payment," and partial funding leaves the system in a dangerous, transitional state.
The full investment is deemed essential to fully rebuild aging facilities, deploy modern automation, ensure system safety following recent incidents, and alleviate the strain on overworked air traffic controllers, also supporting their mental health.

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Officials from the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), and the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization (ATO) convened at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh on Tuesday to call for an additional $20 billion to complete the Trump’s administration’s ongoing air traffic co ntrol (ATC) system overhaul.

“DOT and FAA leadership have been clear that finishing this job, replacing hundreds of aging ATC facilities, deploying modern surveillance automation for controllers, and building the traffic management tools our system needs will take an additional $20 billion,” ALPA president Jason Ambrosi said at a news conference. “Partial funding isn’t a shortcut. It leaves controllers, our crews on the ground, working with one foot in the old system and one in the new. And that’s a dangerous place to leave the people we depend on most.”