by Donald Wood
Last updated: 8:00 AM ET, Thu September 24, 2026
The United States government is seeking an additional $30
billion from Congress to upgrade the nation’s air traffic control system and
airport infrastructure, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Tuesday.
According to Reuters.com, the proposed funding would include about $10
billion to replace aging air traffic control towers and another $10 billion for
telecommunications and other technology used to manage flights.
The remaining $10 billion would be directed toward airport
improvements.
Congress approved $12.5 billion over five years in June 2025
for air traffic control reforms, but officials have continued to seek
additional funding as modernization costs have grown.
The latest request comes after a major telecommunications
failure disrupted air travel across the East Coast. About 9,500
flights were delayed or canceled Monday after a telecommunications switch
failed and a fiber-optic cable in New Jersey was accidentally severed.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also started
deploying a new software-based system that uses predictive analytics to help
manage flights, according to Reuters. Some of the proposed funding would
support expanding that technology across the air traffic network.
A recent government report found that the cost of
telecommunications upgrades has already increased from an estimated $4.75
billion to $5.91 billion, with FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford saying outdated
copper telecommunications wiring should be completely replaced by September
2027.
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