Air Traffic Control Overhaul Seeks Upgraded Towers, Radar

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called for the construction of six new air traffic control centers and the replacement of more than 600 radars in a broad proposal to overhaul the country’s aging system that manages some 45,000 flights each day.

More than a dozen airport towers would be revamped and the agency’s telecommunications network would be replaced with new fiber, wireless and satellite systems over the next three years under the plan, the department said in a statement. Duffy did not propose a specific amount of funding needed for the initiative, but he has said it would require tens of billions of dollars.

The plan was revealed during a Thursday press conference at Transportation Department headquarters in Washington. President Donald Trump called in by phone to discuss aspects of the plan, including his desire to carry out the effort through a single contract.

“We’d like to give out one big, beautiful contract where they’re responsible for everything,” President Donald Trump said as Duffy held a phone to a podium microphone.

The proposal marks the broadest attempt in years to modernize the country’s air traffic control system that has shown alarming signs of strain. Controllers last week lost radio and radar at a Philadelphia facility that guides planes to and from New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport. The outage left them unable to see or communicate with aircraft flying through the congested airspace for roughly 90 seconds, Bloomberg News has reported.

While Duffy’s proposal offers a road map, it’s ultimately up to Congress to authorize funding for the effort, which would dictate how much of the plan will come to fruition. The aviation industry is pushing for a minimum of $31 billion for the effort, according to a person familiar with the matter.

“Decades of neglect have left us with an outdated system that is showing its age,” Duffy said in a statement Thursday. “Building this new system is an economic and national security necessity, and the time to fix it is now.”

The overhaul includes plans to rebuild some of the FAA’s current facilities and provide “brand new” equipment throughout the air traffic system, Duffy said during the press conference. Funding from Congress is needed “up front,” Duffy said, vowing to update lawmakers quarterly on the FAA’s progress and the amount of money spent.

Government watchdogs for years have sounded the alarm about the state of the US air traffic control system. The Federal Aviation Administration in 2023 found that 76% of the agency’s air traffic control systems were either unsustainable or potentially unsustainable, according to the US Government Accountability Office. In 2024, the FAA said the average age of its air traffic control towers was 40 years, and the majority of radar systems were approaching the same age.

Staff shortages have compounded the infrastructure challenges. The FAA had about 10,700 certified professional controllers at the end of fiscal year 2024, more than 3,000 short of desired levels. Duffy has taken steps to boost hiring, including offering a slate of new bonuses and incentives.

The FAA has also announced steps to improve the situation at Newark.

Modernization efforts have gained momentum after a deadly midair collision near Washington in January that put a spotlight on the interface between controllers and airborne aircraft. Since the Newark debacle, the call for upgrades has only grown louder.

Republicans on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee recently advanced legislation that would provide the FAA with $12.5 billion for portions of the overhaul, including upgrades to telecommunications, radar and facilities. The funding was included in the panel’s portion of a broader package Congress is trying to enact through the expedited budget reconciliation process. The Senate could include more money for the project in its version of the tax and spending bill.

Top photo: Sean Duffy, U.S. secretary of transportation, during a news conference at the Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, May 8, 2025. Duffy called for the construction of six new air traffic control centers and the replacement of more than 600 radars in a broad proposal to overhaul the country’s aging system that manages some 45,000 flights each day.