Newark Airport Gets New Radar, but DOT Seeks $10B for Additional Upgrades

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford share latest progress on the multibillion-dollar effort.

Jack Daleo

Tuesday, August 11, 2026 at 02:00 PM ET

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Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Bryan Bedford (from left), FAA administrator, Sean Duffy, U.S. transportation secretary, Kevin O’Toole, chair of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), and Kathryn Garcia, executive director of PANYNJ, inaugurate a new radar at Newark Liberty International Airport (KEWR). [Credit: Jack Daleo]

Key Takeaways:

U.S. officials inaugurated a new surface movement radar at Newark Airport as part of an ongoing multi-billion dollar air traffic control (ATC) modernization effort slated for completion by 2028.
The Department of Transportation is requesting at least an additional $10 billion to further fund these upgrades, including the development of SMART, an AI-powered software designed to predict airspace conditions and enhance capacity, with testing beginning in September.
The comprehensive modernization program also encompasses extensive infrastructure improvements, such as replacing outdated wiring and systems, alongside the recruitment and training of 4,000 new air traffic controllers to address staffing shortages and prepare for a projected doubling of air passengers.

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U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford on Monday inaugurated a new surface movement radar (SMR) at Newark Liberty International Airport (KEWR). But the officials are seeking at least $10 billion more for further air traffic control (ATC) upgrades.

Duffy has previously requested $19 billion in addition to the $12.5 billion allocated by Congress to the effort in 2025. In July, the Modern Skies Coalition, a group of aviation stakeholders led by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), called on Congress to allocate another $20 billion.