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WASHINGTON: The Trump administration boosted its request for air traffic control funding to $50 billion late Friday after a communications issue forced a nationwide groundstop that halted thousands of flights for hours.<\/b><\/p>\n
Transportation \u200bSecretary Sean Duffy and the White House earlier on Friday asked for $30.1 billion to upgrade the United \u200cStates\u2019 aging airports and air traffic control system.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis is an emergency,\u201d Duffy said. \u201cWhat\u2019s more important than having an air traffic control system that actually works?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The issue impacted the FAA\u2019s en route centers that handle traffic between airports. But the Republican-led Senate Commerce Committee \u200bsaid the incident highlights the need to prioritize modernizing those centers over other projects and noted \u200bCongress approved $1.9 billion to replace outdated en route centers.<\/span><\/p>\n The world\u2019s most complex airspace has experienced \u2060a series of events in recent years that have disrupted flights and risked safety. In January 2025, a \u200bmidair collision at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport killed 67 people.<\/span><\/p>\n Congress already approved $12.5 billion over five years in July \u200b2025 to upgrade air traffic control and increase the hiring of controllers following complaints about airport congestion, flight delays and technology problems.<\/span><\/p>\n The request from White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy seeks $10.1 billion for air \u200btraffic control modernization, including $7.2 billion for a common automation platform and controller workstations and $2 billion for cloud computing.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis investment \u200bis critical to complete the modernization of our national airspace \u2013 delivering a resilient telecommunications backbone for air traffic controllers, modern hardware \u200cand \u2060software, state-of-the-art control towers, and world-class airport infrastructure,\u201d Duffy and Vought wrote to lawmakers asking for swift action.<\/span><\/p>\n Major airlines, including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and Southwest Airlines have expressed support for the request.<\/span> The FAA \u2060relies on decades-old computers as well as replacement parts bought through auction websites. Last week, it said it would replace by the end of 2028 floppy disks used for \u200bweather and other critical information at more than 400 air traffic control facilities.<\/span><\/p>\n Vought and \u200bDuffy in their \u2060letter said the FAA has replaced 68% of legacy copper telecommunications network with high-speed fiber infrastructure.<\/span><\/p>\n The administration has called for the Republican-led Congress to approve funding in the final weeks of the year. Democrats are set to take control \u2060of Congress \u200bin January.<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span>The $30.1 billion request also includes $2 billion to replace and improve Federal Aviation Administration air traffic control towers and $18 billion for airport-related projects \u200bincluding $10 billion to modernize or \u200breplace aging terminals.<\/span><\/p>\n