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The Trump administration shared plans today for the necessary overhaul of the United States air traffic control system. The full modernization is wanted within four years and will cost as much as $31 billion for the “state of the art” replacement.
The system used by air traffic controllers across the United States is antiquated and in need of updates. It’s been neglected for many years and a full overhaul of the current technology used by thousands of controllers is a top priority. The ambitious plan that was presented by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy comes on the heels of the near total meltdown of Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) over the past few weeks. United Airlines (the largest operating airline at the airport) has proactively cancelled flights, but is still facing huge delays.
The press conference held in Washington DC at the office of the Department of Transportation (DOT) drew CEOs from American, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, and United. They were on hand to hear about the much needed upgrades and to express their support. Duffy did not provide a clear answer as to the total estimated cost, but last week the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee estimated that it might cost $12.5 billion for the overhaul. The Modern Skies Coalition, which is a group of aviation industry experts, pilot association representatives, and others, feels that it will require an additional $18.5 billion (bringing the total to $31 billion).
NPR reports that the DOT is proposing to replace the decades-old telecommunications, radio, and surveillance systems with modern technology like fiber and satellite technologies. This also includes investing in new ground radar sensors at airports, a new flight management system, and new air traffic control towers and other facilities.
The plan will need approval from Congress and to get this done within four years, the secretary is requesting Congress provide the funding up front, rather than incrementally. Trump has endorsed the plan, even joining Duffy at the press conference via speakerphone.
Anthony’s Take: Something needs to be done with the US air traffic control system. This all sounds good. Now, we need to see some action.
(Image Credits: gorodenkoff via iStock.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
