Airline Pilots Association urges sustained air traffic control modernization

The FAA’s NextGen initiative encompasses technologies such as Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B) surveillance, Data Communications (Data Comm) digital messaging, Performance-Based Navigation, and automation systems like En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM) and Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS). These systems have delivered measurable operational benefits—ADS-B equipage reached over 169,000 U.S. aircraft by January 2025, while Data Comm has exceeded 1,900 carrier aircraft by 2019 and is expanding to en route centers. However, ALPA critiques that without consistent modernization funding and full deployment at airports and carriers, many of the projected efficiency and safety improvements will remain unrealized.

The Airline Pilots Association is the largest airline pilot union in the world, representing more than 77,000 pilots across 41 U.S. and Canadian carriers. ALPA actively advocates on aviation safety, regulatory reform, pilot training, and air traffic control modernization. The union frequently appears before Congress and collaborates with industry stakeholders to promote policies that ensure pilot and passenger safety across the national airspace system.