Newark, New Jersey, has recently become ground zero for high-profile air traffic control issues. This has prompted aviation leaders to accelerate their push for upgrades to antiquated air traffic control systems across the U.S. that will improve safety and help lower costs to consumers.
The need for network improvements came into sharp focus on April 28, when a temporary data delay caused blank radar screens for 90 seconds at the Newark airport, and silenced radios for 30 seconds. CNN reported three more temporary outages since then.
But the Newark incident is just the latest example of deeper issues in U.S. air traffic control. As internet connectivity expands and speeds soar, the government is lagging. Billions of taxpayer dollars have gone to internet upgrades, yet air traffic control systems remain stuck in the age of copper lines.
Airlines for America (A4A) is leading the charge for modernization. In an April 29 letter to U.S. Reps. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) and Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), leaders of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, A4A President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio noted that both the U.S. Government Accountability Office and the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Safety Review Team have flagged weaknesses in air traffic systems that not only cause delays and inefficiencies but also “erode the margins of safety.”
While Calio said that “aviation is by far the safest mode of transportation,” he warned that “action is urgently needed to rectify these longstanding issues.”
A4A has an ally in U.S. Rep. Graves, the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and a professional pilot. Graves advocated for $12.5 billion in air traffic control modernization as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The money would fund new towers, radar systems and facilities, as well as hiring and training new air traffic controllers.
Graves noted in an op-ed in The Washington Times that the FAA’s systems have been on the GAO’s “high risk” list since 1995. He noted that the FAA currently spends more than $100 million a month to maintain outdated systems that still use floppy disks.
“The American aviation system is in dire need of an overhaul,” Graves wrote. “The average age of an air traffic control tower in the United States is 40, and the majority of radar systems are approaching 40 years.”
Calio emphasized that point at the Aero Club of Washington luncheon in January, holding up two floppy disks and opining, “How is the FAA supposed to attract young talent and compete for jobs when they use technology that most 20-30 year olds have never seen?”
Fortunately, some progress is being made. Congress recently passed the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, which requires the FAA to hire the maximum number of graduates from its training academy, audit all legacy systems, and speed up replacement plans. Graves noted that the FCC is on track to hire at least 2,000 new air traffic controllers in 2025.
A new fiber optic cable was also laid between Philadelphia and New York to improve communications for flights in and out of Newark, the New York Post reported.
“That was the troubled portion of the line that’s been laid,” Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said at a press conference before Memorial Day weekend. “We’re doing some of the connections right now, and then we have to test it. I don’t want to overpromise and underdeliver.”
Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau said his administration cut 25 percent of the flights at Newark to improve safety and avoid delays caused by understaffing and the aging infrastructure. The reduced supply will result in higher ticket prices, especially as summer demand increases.
“We will continue to work with the airlines, with the airports to make sure that as we manage traffic, we do so safely and efficiently throughout the system,” Rocheleau said.
Graves’ plan would fund fiber in metro areas and satellite technologies in remote locations like Alaska, where fiber is too costly. Satellite could also be used as backup in cities in case of fiber issues.
Air safety is important to Rep. Nick Begich (R-AK), whose grandfather disappeared aboard an airplane flying from Anchorage to Juneau in 1972. A member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Subcommittee on Aviation, Begich recently secured $25 million from the FAA to improve Alaskan air safety and support modernization.
“Without immediate action, overworked air traffic controllers will continue to manage increasing traffic with aging equipment,” Begich recently wrote in the Washington Examiner. “Fatigue and staffing shortages will heighten the risk of near misses. Our nation, home to some of the busiest and most complex airspace in the world, deserves better.”
As the U.S. sees record air traffic volume, America’s air traffic control system continues to run on decades-old technology. Congress should fund modernization now to reduce long-term upkeep costs and protect airline passengers.
Johnny Kampis is director of telecom policy for the Taxpayers Protection Alliance.