FAA Allows Taxpayers to Track Progress on $12.5B ATC Upgrades

Agency cites lack of transparency for undermining previous modernization efforts such as NextGen.

Jack Daleo

Friday, May 22, 2026 at 01:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

A new FAA website contains a progress tracker for the agency’s $12.5 billion air traffic control (ATC) modernization effort. [Credit: FAA]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA launched a new website (modernskies.faa.gov) to provide transparent, up-close views of its ongoing $12.5 billion air traffic control (ATC) modernization program, which involves over 10,000 projects nationwide.
This significant transformation aims to upgrade radar, software, hardware, and telecommunications systems by 2028, replacing outdated infrastructure to improve efficiency and prevent disruptions like past outages.
The new platform allows taxpayers to track local project progress and upcoming efforts, addressing a historical lack of transparency that undermined previous modernization initiatives.
Further investment beyond the initial $12.5 billion is anticipated to fully optimize air traffic, including the development of advanced systems like SMART, to minimize delays and cancellations.

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A new FAA web page purports to pull back the curtain on the agency’s ongoing air traffic control (ATC) modernization push, which American taxpayers are funding to the tune of $12.5 billion.

Launched Friday ahead of the busy Memorial Day Weekend, the website is intended to give taxpayers a “transparent, up-close view” of more than 10,000 projects happening nationwide, per a news release. Users can input their city, state, ZIP code, or local airport to generate a custom report that captures local progress and efforts planned in the next 30 days.