Duffy Urges Senate to Approve $12.5 Billion for Big Beautiful Bill's Air Traffic System Upgrade

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described the nation’s air traffic control system as “antiquated” on Wednesday, calling on the Senate to pass the Big Beautiful Bill, which proposes $12.5 billion for critical upgrades across the system.

During remarks at the Department of Transportation, Duffy provided an update on the recent disruptions at Newark International Airport in New Jersey. He pointed to decades-old infrastructure and ongoing staffing shortfalls as direct contributors to radar and telecommunications outages experienced at the airport in recent weeks.

“We have an antiquated and old air traffic control system, anywhere from 25 to 35, 40 years old in some places,” Duffy stated. “It is in desperate need, of a brand-new build. We need Congress to act.”

Duffy detailed the agency’s efforts to modernize facilities, highlighting a rapid collaboration with Verizon that resulted in a new fiber optic line being laid between Philadelphia and New York within just 30 days. That stretch, which directly impacts Newark, had previously relied on outdated copper wiring, making it more prone to failures and transmission delays. The new fiber optic connection aims to ensure faster and more reliable sharing of radar and radio data between airports and control centers.

The urgency for upgrades was underscored by three recent telecom disruptions at Newark’s Philly TRACON (terminal radar approach control), which led to outages and forced technicians to reboot essential radar scopes. A targeted software update helped address the issues, and the installation of the fiber line was confirmed by officials as a robust long-term fix.

“That’s just an example of what’s going to happen should Congress give us the money to do this brand-new build,” Duffy said. “And by the way, it’s a nationwide plan. We have systems all over the country, but we need the Congress to act.”

Duffy noted that the $12.5 billion proposal may only be a starting point, saying further funding and streamlined permitting will be necessary to keep projects on track. He also commended President Donald Trump for supporting airspace modernization initiatives and criticized the Biden administration’s decision to move Newark’s airspace oversight to Philadelphia before ensuring proper fiber infrastructure was in place.

Construction at Newark International’s runway has also caused flight delays, as the airport’s reduced capacity limits the number of departures. Duffy anticipates construction will be complete by June 15, at which point operations are expected to improve.

Staffing also remains a central concern. According to Duffy, only 16 of 27 assigned air traffic controllers are working at Philadelphia TRACON due to trauma and medical leave, with another five serving as supervisors. Sixteen additional controllers are currently in training and expected to be deployed in the coming months.

“We normally run 50–54 departures an hour at Newark. That’s now down to 28 an hour due to staffing,” Duffy said. “When the runway reopens June 15, we’ll bump that up to 34 an hour and reassess again in October once more controllers are certified.”

Nationwide, the U.S. is facing a shortage of approximately 3,000 air traffic controllers, according to the Transportation Department. Despite these challenges, Duffy stressed that the flying public remains safe.

“Some have asked, is the airspace safe? Is it safe to try to travel by airplane?” Duffy said. “And the answer to that is absolutely yes.”