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Airlines for America has urged Congress to swiftly pass legislation aimed at modernizing the U.S. air traffic control system. The announcement was made on the social media platform X.
According to Reuters, Airlines for America (A4A) and several U.S. airline CEOs have called for urgent congressional action following a series of air traffic control (ATC) failures and system outages in 2024 and 2025. These incidents, including a fatal runway crash and technology outages at major airports, have highlighted that approximately 40% of ATC systems in the U.S. are outdated, with some still using technology from the 1970s. A4A has emphasized that failing to act will leave the nation vulnerable to more disruptions and safety risks, underscoring why immediate and meaningful legislative action is critical.
Investor’s Business Daily reports that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) plans a comprehensive three-year ATC modernization effort, which includes building six new regional centers, upgrading 15 control towers, and updating more than 30,000 services across the system. Despite this plan, there is an estimated funding shortfall of nearly $19 billion, with the FAA currently allocated $12.5 billion—far below the $31 billion required for a full transformation. Airlines for America has urged Congress to enact "meaningful provisions" and bridge this funding gap so that critical infrastructure updates can proceed on schedule and at scale.
