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Duffy Details $12.5 Billion Overhaul of U.S. Air Traffic Control

Congress’s initial $12.5 billion funding includes $2 billion for a new en route center; replacement of 618 legacy radars; upgraded towers; expanded ADS-B coverage; incentives to close a 3 500-controller shortfall.

Sec. of Transportation Sean Duffy testifies before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.
The air traffic control tower is seen from the gate as a woman and a child look out at the Denver International Airport terminal, in Denver, Colorado, U.S., May 15, 2025. REUTERS/Megan Varner/File Photo
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy testifies before a House Appropriations Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on the Department of Transportation budget, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 14, 2025. REUTERS/Anna Rose Layden/File Photo
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Overview

  • Congress approved a $12.5 billion initial funding package to jump-start the air traffic control modernization.
  • The blueprint allocates $2 billion to build the first new en route air traffic center since the 1960s and calls for replacement of 618 radars, new radios, network upgrades and installation of anti-collision tarmac technology at 200 airports.
  • It sets aside new hiring incentives and retention bonuses to help close a 3 500-controller gap and curb the 2.2 million overtime hours logged in 2024.
  • The administration is weighing contracts with private firms such as Raytheon or IBM to manage and oversee the multibillion-dollar upgrade effort.
  • The plan responds to long-standing infrastructure failures and safety incidents, including a January midair collision that killed 67 and recent system outages at Newark Liberty International Airport.