‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Includes $12.5B for ATC Overhaul, Airport Safety

Upgrades include air traffic control tower, radar, and telecommunications systems replacements.

Monday, May 19, 2025 at 03:55 PM ET

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Aerial view of King County International Airport-Boeing Field looking south down Runway 14R toward Mount Rainier [Credit: King County]

Key Takeaways:

A new federal spending bill, the "Big Beautiful Bill," allocates $12.5 billion over the next four years for airport and air traffic control (ATC) infrastructure projects.
This funding targets critical upgrades, including $2.16 billion for ATC tower replacements, $3 billion for radar systems, $4.75 billion for telecommunications, and $1 billion for controller recruitment and training.
The bill is strongly supported by Airlines for America (A4A), which emphasizes the urgent need to modernize outdated ATC equipment and address staffing shortages to maintain a safe and efficient national airspace system.

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A massive federal spending bill heading to vote this week includes $12.5 billion in airport and air traffic control infrastructure projects over the next four years.

The national budget for the 2025 fiscal year, titled the “Big Beautiful Bill,” was approved by the House Budget Committee in a rare weekend vote on Sunday night. It is expected to be put to vote on the House floor by the end of this week.

Caleb Revill

Caleb Revill is a journalist, writer and lifelong learner working as a Junior Writer for Firecrown. When he isn't tackling breaking news, Caleb is on the lookout for fascinating feature stories.