Congressional Hearings Put U.S. Air Traffic Control Modernization Under the Microscope

In December, House and Senate lawmakers turned their attention to one of the most long-overdue infrastructure projects of our time: modernizing the U.S. air traffic control system. Specifically, the hearings shined a spotlight on how the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is using the $12.5 billion Congress allocated last summer toward the effort. 

During testimony, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford detailed his agency’s new “think slow, act fast” strategy. Under this approach, radar and telecommunications upgrades that were once spread across a 20-year timeline have been compressed into roughly three years. More than one-third—36 percent—of the FAA’s legacy copper wiring has already been replaced with fiber optic cable. And, the agency has deployed its first new digital radios and voice switches, marking a significant break from decades-old analog equipment.

By the end of 2025, the FAA projected that between $6 and $6.5 billion would be earmarked for telecommunications, monitoring, and voice communications upgrades—a significant milestone given the six-month runway.

The hearings come at a critical time. America’s air traffic control system still relies on technologies that, in many cases, predate the internet. Floppy disks, paper strips, copper wiring, and analog radios—technology better suited for a museum display—are far too common in control towers. When those systems fail, the consequences are immediate.

Last year, for example, aviation infrastructure-related failures disrupted travel at major hubs like Newark, Atlanta, and Jacksonville. These incidents are not random glitches. They are symptoms of a broken system that has been repeatedly patched with bandaids and extended well beyond its intended lifespan.

With the new legislative year underway, lawmakers face a rare, bipartisan opportunity to finish the job by allocating the remaining $19 billion needed to complete the modernization project. Administrator Bedford explained that while current funding focuses on replacing outdated hardware, the final phase would upgrade the computing power of more than 300 air traffic control towers nationwide—fully lifting them from analog systems into the digital age.

The payoff would be a safer, more resilient, and more efficient airspace system capable of supporting future growth rather than undermining it.

Beyond funding, Congress can further safeguard modernization progress by insulating air traffic control operations from government mismanagement. Modernization timelines are fragile. Interruptions stall procurement, delay installations, and disrupt workforce planning. As the most recent federal government shutdown revealed, shielding air traffic control operations from political gridlock would ensure upgrades continue uninterrupted and taxpayer investments deliver their intended returns.

December’s congressional hearings made clear that the path to a modern air traffic control system is no longer theoretical. The technology exists, the plan is underway, and early progress is already measurable. The only missing ingredient is the political will to see the effort through to completion. This year, Congress can side with progress and finish building the air traffic control system the nation deserves—or risk locking in another generation of avoidable delays, disruptions, and antiquated infrastructure.