FAA seeks $10B upgrade

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is asking Congress for another $10 billion to speed up a nationwide overhaul of the United States air-traffic control system. (usnews.com) Duffy said on April 21 that the money would fund the next phase of work after Congress provided $12.5 billion last year for tower staffing and technology upgrades. He said the goal is to cut systemwide disruptions tied to aging equipment. (rollcall.com) The Federal Aviation Administration’s plan calls for 5,000 new high-speed network connections using fiber, satellite and wireless links, plus 27,000 new radios and 612 upgraded radars by the end of 2028. (wncy.com) Air-traffic control is the system that tracks planes, spaces them out, and lets controllers talk to pilots in real time. In much of the country, that still depends on old copper communications lines, legacy radios, and software that federal officials say is overdue for replacement. (govexec.com) The push accelerated after repeated problems around Newark Liberty International Airport, where controllers and airlines dealt with outages and capacity limits that spilled into the broader network. The Transportation Department said those Newark issues have been addressed while longer-term upgrades move ahead. (6abc.com) One of the first fixes was basic but consequential: replacing old copper lines with fiber-optic links, which carry more data and are less prone to single-point failures. Officials also said they are adding wireless and satellite backups so one damaged line does not knock out communications. (crainsnewyork.com) Duffy said the department has already replaced nearly half of the copper wire in the system, installed new surface-awareness technology at more than 50 airports, and upgraded about 270 radio sites. He said the broader modernization effort is still targeted for completion in 2028. (newsnationnow.com) The funding request landed during a heavy spring travel stretch that brought reports of 1,762 delayed flights and 46 cancellations across major hubs. Those disruptions were concentrated at busy airports where weather, crew positioning, and airspace constraints can quickly spread across airline schedules. (nomadlawyer.org) Congress now has to decide whether to approve the extra money after years of failed or partial modernization drives. Duffy told an aviation audience that rebuilding the system is achievable, but the next test is whether lawmakers will pay for the remaining work. (aopa.org)