FAA Administrator Pushes Back on Watchdog’s ATC Modernization Report

Air traffic control effort seeks to replace, upgrade, and introduce new physical and digital infrastructure.

Jack Daleo

Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at 11:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said Tuesday that he wanted to "correct the record" on the GAO's report. [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

A GAO report criticized the FAA's Brand New ATC System (BNATCS) modernization program, alleging it lacks a lifecycle cost estimate and master schedule, potentially leading to cost overruns, delays, and unmet goals reminiscent of previous failed initiatives.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford countered some GAO claims, asserting that the FAA possesses both lifecycle cost estimates and a highly integrated master schedule for the BNATCS program.
Despite his rebuttal, Bedford acknowledged the FAA expects to "overspend" the $12.5 billion allocated for BNATCS Phase 1 (requiring $16 billion) and anticipates some schedule slippage.
Bedford highlighted that the FAA views the GAO report as a valuable tool for transparency and accountability, but warned that underfunding could result in increased flight delays and a less resilient National Airspace System.

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FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said Tuesday that he wanted to “correct the record” on a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that alleged the agency’s air traffic control modernization effort may face cost overruns, schedule delays, and unmet goals.

The GAO report, published Monday, claimed that the FAA lacks a lifecycle cost estimate or master schedule for its Brand New ATC System (BNATCS) program. Over two phases, BNATCS seeks to replace outdated, decades-old infrastructure and introduce new automated capabilities to improve safety and efficiency in the National Airspace System (NAS).