Washington seeks $30.1 billion to modernise US aviation
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Citizen Digital
On Friday, the White House and the Department of Transportation asked the US Congress for $30.1 billion to modernise ageing airports and air traffic control, including $10.1 billion for the latter. This sum is in addition to the $12.5 billion over five years approved in July 2025, according to Citizen Digital.
The White House and the Department of Transportation asked Congress on Friday to release an additional $30.1 billion to modernise the United States' airports and air traffic control system, according to Reuters. The request follows several flight disruptions and safety problems affecting the US network.
Of this sum, $10.1 billion would go to modernising air traffic control, including $7.2 billion for a common automation platform and controller workstations, and $2 billion for cloud computing. Some $18 billion would go to airport infrastructure, including $10 billion to modernise or replace ageing terminals.
Congress had already approved $12.5 billion over five years in July 2025 to modernise air traffic control and recruit more controllers. American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines support the new request, according to Reuters.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the US agency responsible for civil aviation, still uses old IT equipment. The previous week it announced plans to replace, by the end of 2028, the floppy disks used for weather information and other critical data at more than 400 air traffic control facilities.
