The White House and the US Department of Transportation have asked Congress to approve a further $30.1 billion for the country’s air traffic control network and airports, citing ageing infrastructure, technology failures and disruption to flights.
Funding would target controllers and infrastructure
The request comes after a series of operational problems in the United States, where congestion, delays and weaknesses in air traffic control technology have drawn increasing scrutiny. A mid-air collision at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in January 2025 killed 67 people.
Congress approved $12.5 billion over five years in July 2025 for air traffic control improvements and increased controller recruitment. The latest proposal would provide additional funding, including $10.1 billion for modernising the Federal Aviation Administration’s air traffic control systems.
| Area | Proposed funding |
|---|---|
| Air traffic control modernisation | $10.1 billion |
| FAA control towers | $2 billion |
| Airport-related projects | $18 billion |
| Total request | $30.1 billion |
The air traffic control allocation includes $7.2 billion for a shared automation platform and controller workstations, alongside $2 billion for cloud computing. The request also includes money for a communications backbone, updated hardware and software, control towers and wider airport works.
“This investment is critical to complete the modernization of our national airspace – delivering a resilient telecommunications backbone for air traffic controllers, modern hardware and software, state-of-the-art control towers, and world-class airport infrastructure.”
The statement was included in a letter to lawmakers from Russell Vought, Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, and Sean Duffy, the US Transportation Secretary. Major carriers including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines have expressed support for the request.
Legacy systems remain in use
The proposed airport funding would total $18 billion, of which $10 billion would be directed towards modernising or replacing ageing terminals. A further $2 billion would be used to replace and improve Federal Aviation Administration air traffic control towers.
The Federal Aviation Administration continues to rely on decades-old computer systems and has obtained some replacement parts through auction websites. It said last week that floppy disks used for weather and other critical information at more than 400 air traffic control facilities would be replaced by the end of 2028.
The agency said that 68% of its legacy copper telecommunications network had been replaced with high-speed fibre infrastructure. The White House and Department of Transportation are asking Congress to act on the wider package as the administration seeks to address the infrastructure and staffing constraints affecting the US national airspace system.
- $10.1 billion is proposed for air traffic control modernisation.
- $18 billion would support airport-related projects, including terminal upgrades.
- The Federal Aviation Administration plans to remove floppy disks from more than 400 facilities by the end of 2028.
