Duffy Announces Progress on $12.5B ATC Overhaul, Seeks Funds

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced significant early progress Tuesday on a $12.5 billion overhaul of the nation's aging air traffic control system, while urging Congress to approve additional funding to complete the project by the end of 2028. Speaking at a Department of Transportation event in Washington, Duffy highlighted upgrades already underway at more than 4,600 Federal Aviation Administration facilities nationwide, aimed at replacing decades-old analog technology with modern digital infrastructure to enhance safety and efficiency.

The initiative stems from a deadly midair collision in January 2025 near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, where a commercial jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter crashed over the Potomac River, killing all 67 people aboard. Investigators determined the helicopter's location-broadcasting system had been disabled, creating a blind spot exacerbated by controllers' reliance on outdated equipment, including copper wiring, analog radios and paper flight strips. Duffy described the incident as a wake-up call. "A little over a year ago, we had the DCA air crash," he said. "At that moment, we committed to building a brand-new...