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 "Modern Skies" website to provide transparent, up-to-date information on its $12.5 billion air traffic control (ATC) modernization program, allowing taxpayers to track progress on over 10,000 nationwide projects.
This modernization effort, scheduled for completion by 2028, aims to learn from previous costly and opaque initiatives like NextGen, focusing on accountability for extensive upgrades to radar, software, hardware, and telecommunications.
Projects include replacing old copper wiring with fiber optics, installing new surface awareness initiative (SAI) systems, and digital voice switches, with future plans for a Strategic Management of Airspace Routing Trajectories (SMART) system to optimize traffic and minimize disruptions.

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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.