US Congress Approves $12.5B FAA Air Traffic Control Overhaul

The U.S. Congress has approved a $12.5 billion funding package aimed at overhauling the nation's outdated air traffic control (ATC) system, with President Donald Trump expected to sign the bill into law. This major investment addresses chronic underfunding and technological obsolescence, as much of the current ATC infrastructure relies on decades-old technology such as floppy disks and Windows 95 software. The funding will support upgrades including radar replacements, runway safety technology, and new communications equipment, with the goal of improving safety and efficiency across the system that manages thousands of daily flights and millions of passengers. The bill, known as the "One Big Beautiful Bill," is hailed by industry groups like Airlines for America as a critical step towards modernizing the FAA’s infrastructure and preventing future aviation incidents. The initiative was prompted in part by recent serious incidents and equipment failures, such as the mid-air collision in January and outages at Newark Liberty International Airport, highlighting the urgent need for modernization. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy emphasized that this funding is a down payment on building a 21st-century air traffic control system that replaces outdated equipment with state-of-the-art technologies.