Duffy Teases Major ATC Overhaul Announcement

Full-fledged plan could be rolled out as early as next week.

Ryan Ewing

Friday, May 02, 2025 at 02:00 PM ET

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Ryan Ewing

DOT Secretary Sean Duffy [Courtesy: Department of Transportation]

Key Takeaways:

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced an upcoming plan to overhaul the United States' "very obsolete" air traffic control infrastructure system, with details expected soon.
President Trump and Duffy have pushed for this modernization, citing its necessity for safety and linking current deficiencies to recent incidents, such as a deadly midair collision near Reagan National Airport.
In a separate effort to address staffing, the FAA and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) are implementing cash bonuses to attract and retain air traffic controllers in hard-to-staff regions.

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An announcement to “build out a brand-new air traffic control infrastructure system” is coming soon, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said during a press briefing on Thursday.

President Donald Trump and Duffy have been roadshowing a plan to completely overhaul the United States’ aging air traffic control system, which Trump called “very obsolete.” He continued to say that January’s deadly midair collision at Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA) near Washington, D.C., “wouldn’t have happened if we had the right equipment.”