Aviation industry urges increased funding for ATC modernization

“The AATF has the capacity to maintain and support additional investments that will help facilitate economic growth,” the groups said. “The AATF’s significant uncommitted balance along with [the Congressional Budget Office’s] surplus projections show that the AATF is a stable and predictable source of funding to address the system needs across the [national airspace system or NAS], and we urge Congress to use them to address safety-critical user needs.”

The recent FAA reauthorization legislation directs the FAA to provide additional information on unfunded ATC capital needs. “However, we must continue to build upon the initial steps taken in the FAA Reauthorization Act and provide the necessary capital to address the needs of the NAS,” they added.

Regarding underfunding, they expressed concern that necessary maintenance of existing systems is being neglected. “FAA switched to a ‘fix-on-fail’ model during Fiscal Year 2013’s sequestration and has not returned to a model of preventative maintenance,” they noted. Additionally, they pointed out that many air traffic control systems have exceeded their lifespan: “Every [Air Route Traffic Control Center] and more than a quarter of all FAA facilities are at least 50 years old, with many in need of replacement.”

The FAA’s current F&E budget does not support these fixes and upgrades, prompting the agency to request $8 billion in mandatory spending for such efforts. The groups also contended that lack of funding is slowing deployment of key NextGen programs such as en-route data communications.

“Supporting the system through robust appropriations primarily derived from the AATF will ensure the system has the resources necessary to grow safely and in a sustainable manner,” they said. “Robust government investment in our aviation system is critical to continued safety and our global competitiveness, and the private sector is already investing billions of dollars in both human resources and capital expenditures to keep pace with demands of 21st century aviation.”