Overview

• Senators are expected to approve the reconciliation bill that allocates $12.5 billion as an initial funding tranche for FAA modernization.
• Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and President Trump have secured public endorsements from major airline CEOs and the Modern Skies Coalition.
• The Department of Transportation has referred over 8,000 candidates to FAA aptitude exams to help mitigate a shortage of roughly 3,000 air traffic controllers.
• Planned upgrades include state-of-the-art fiber-optic connections, digital radar and new control radios to replace 1960s-era analog systems.
• FAA and industry leaders caution that fully overhauling the National Airspace System will require at least $31 billion, citing France’s 34 percent efficiency gains as a benchmark.