FAA Still Billions Short of Funding Needed for ATC Data Automation

Thales becomes latest company to seek contract for common automation platform, but how will the agency fund it?

Jack Daleo

Thursday, August 13, 2026 at 04:30 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

The FAA seeks a common automation platform (CAP) to unify terminal and en route air traffic control (ATC) data as part of a massive modernization effort. [Credit: Thales]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA's Common Automation Platform (CAP), a key component of its Brand New Air Traffic Control System (BNATCS) effort, aims to unify existing En Route and Terminal automation systems into a single, advanced digital interface but lacks dedicated funding for its development.
Competition for the CAP contract is intensifying, with Thales recently proposing its cloud-based, AI-powered TopSky-America platform, alongside other shortlisted companies such as RTX's Collins Aerospace and Leidos.
Despite significant financial allocations for BNATCS, the estimated $10 billion cost for CAP development remains unfunded, prompting the Transportation Department to seek additional congressional support to cover these crucial software upgrades.

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As competition for the FAA’s common automation platform (CAP) contract heats up, the agency still lacks the funds required to develop the technology, which is envisioned to combine its En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM) and Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS) platforms.

Thales becomes the latest company to pitch a CAP solution to the FAA. On Wednesday, it announced TopSky-America, a cloud-based, AI-powered platform that it said is tailored for the FAA to enhance information sharing, decision making, and situational awareness for air traffic controllers (ATCs).