FAA Chief Defends Choice for ATC Overhaul Contractor

Georgia congressman raises concerns about technology firm’s experience and background.

Zach Vasile

Friday, December 19, 2025 at 09:00 AM ET

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Edited By:

Travis Tingle

An air traffic control tower at Newark Liberty International Airport [Credit: Wikimedia Commons]

Key Takeaways:

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford defended the government's decision to award security and technology company Peraton a contract worth over $31 billion for a comprehensive rebuild of the nation's air traffic control (ATC) infrastructure.
Representative Hank Johnson criticized the selection, citing Peraton's perceived lack of FAA experience, its ownership by a private equity firm, and suggesting a "pay-to-play" situation over more experienced bidders like Parsons Corporation.
Bedford justified Peraton's choice by highlighting its specialized expertise in migrating analog systems to digital and native cloud structures, gained from work with the Department of Defense and NASA, which is crucial for modernizing the FAA's antiquated systems, and affirmed the transparency of the selection process.

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FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford this week defended the federal government’s choice of security and technology company Peraton to handle an expansive rebuild of the nation’s air traffic control (ATC) infrastructure.

At a hearing of the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on Tuesday, Representative Hank Johnson of Georgia asked Bedford why a relatively young company with “little to no experience” working with the FAA was given control of a contract that will likely be worth over $31 billion over several years.