U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says he is confident that Congress will provide around $19 billion in additional funding to modernize the nation’s air traffic control (ATC) system.
Speaking on American Airlines’ Tell Me Why podcast last week, Duffy emphasized the need to replace aging infrastructure and technology across the National Airspace System (NAS).
“We got $12.5 billion in the One Big Beautiful Bill, which is a great start,” Duffy said. “…We’re gonna…get the right technology, get the right telecom, but also we have to rebuild the bricks and mortar of our towers, our TRACONs, and our centers. All in, that’s gonna be about $31.5 billion. And I think the Congress is gonna give it to us.”
New Enroute Center
Duffy pointed to outdated copper wiring, decades-old radar systems, and a 30-year-old management system for controllers as areas requiring urgent upgrades. He said the initial funding will be used to rebuild the telecom network with fiber, purchase new radars, and construct a new $2 billion Air Route Traffic Control Center.
Work is also beginning on a new automation platform to streamline operations, though that effort has not yet received dedicated funding.
Duffy said early improvements could be noticeable by next summer, though the full modernization program will take years to complete. He stressed that upgrades would begin in high-traffic regions where delays have a ripple effect nationwide.
He also urged airline employees to advocate for the program.
“Whoever your member of Congress is or your senator is in the place that you live, tell them you’re an American Airlines employee,” he said. “This is a huge part of our economy. So I would ask you all to lend your voices to this cause.”
Looking ahead, Duffy said the modernization effort will also prepare the NAS for emerging entrants such as drones and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
“We have to make sure that we have a system in place that can accommodate a lot more users of the airspace,” he said.
