Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the White House are seeking $30.1 billion from Congress to overhaul aging air traffic facilities, control towers, and airport terminals. The proposal is supported by major carriers like Delta, United, American, and Southwest following severe disruptions, including a deadly midair collision in January 2025. Modernization plans target severe technology deficits, including the phaseout of floppy disks at over 400 facilities by the end of 2028. The emergency request also allocates $7.2 billion specifically toward a common automation platform and controller workstations.
Key points
The administration is pressuring the Republican-led Congress to pass the multi-billion-do…: The administration is pressuring the Republican-led Congress to pass the multi-billion-dollar aviation package before Democrats assume control in January.
Significant federal investments are directed at replacing outdated hardware, with $2 bill…: Significant federal investments are directed at replacing outdated hardware, with $2 billion dedicated specifically to cloud computing infrastructure.
Major domestic carriers are fully backing the emergency funding request to prevent furthe…: Major domestic carriers are fully backing the emergency funding request to prevent further systemwide network failures and flight cancellations.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the White House earlier on Friday asked for $30.1 billion to upgrade the United States' aging airports and air traffic control system.
"This is an emergency," Duffy said. "What's more important than having an air traffic control system that actually works?"
The issue impacted the FAA's en route centers that handle traffic between airports. But the Republican-led Senate Commerce Committee said the incident highlights the need to prioritize modernizing those centers over other projects and noted Congress approved $1.9 billion to replace outdated en route centers.
The world's most complex airspace has experienced a series of events in recent years that have disrupted flights and risked safety. In January 2025, a midair collision at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport killed 67 people.
Congress already approved $12.5 billion over five years in July 2025 to upgrade air traffic control and increase the hiring of controllers following complaints about airport congestion, flight delays and technology problems.
The request from White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy seeks $10.1 billion…
Israeli intelligence leadership is consulting with top American officials as Benjamin Netanyahu pushes the United States to resume military strikes against Tehran. The high-level outreach faces significant resistance from President Trump following midterm election losses and pushback from cabinet members favoring economic sanctions. Domestically, the diplomatic mission was concealed from rival Israeli political figures during routine security updates.
Police in Himachal Pradesh have initiated legal proceedings against the Mandi lawmaker following a formal complaint over social media uploads targeting the Nehru-Gandhi lineage. The case invokes charges related to public mischief, defamation, and promoting discord over archival video clips shared online. The complainant alleges the shared material crossed acceptable boundaries of discourse by connecting historical family deaths to subsequent political ascents.
Diplomatic discussions between the two leaders are anticipated to bypass recent espionage claims tied to prominent industry figures. American representatives indicated that these specific matters will remain off the agenda for the bilateral talks. The decision reflects the administration's strategic focus during high-level foreign policy negotiations.