America’s Air Traffic Control System Is Long Overdue for an Upgrade

Outdated tech is straining America’s airspace system. Congress must act now.

The latest: Recent system outages at the Newark Liberty International Airport and other locations underscore the urgent need to modernize the nation’s aging air traffic control (ATC) system.

The challenge: Airline travel remains the safest mode of transportation. However, the lack of updated technology, paired with an air traffic controller shortage, is creating headaches for passengers and cargo shippers alike during a period of record demand.

• The big picture: “This isn’t just about pilots — it’s about our colleagues on the other side of the microphone, in the air traffic control facilities,” ALPA President Capt. Jason Ambrosi said. “For far too long, air traffic controllers have worked under outdated conditions, with insufficient staffing and aging technology. That must change.”

Why it matters: Pilots, air traffic controllers, and ATC system technicians work hand-in-hand as partners in safety, each playing a vital role in managing the complexity of the National Airspace System (NAS) and ensuring passengers and cargo move safely and efficiently.

• Essential safety partner: Pilots rely on air traffic controllers to help them safely navigate the skies by providing real-time instructions on adjusting flight paths.
• Safety first: The NAS is designed to prevent collisions, sequence takeoffs and landings, maintain in-air spacing, provide up-to-date weather information and issue real-time routing guidance.
• Critical support: In the event of an emergency, such as an aircraft equipment malfunction or a passenger medical event, air traffic controllers play an essential role. They help pilots plan reroutes and diversions to airports and provide coordination with emergency services.

The problem: The current ATC system relies on aging facilities and outdated technologies like paper-based flight progress strips, copper wire and computer floppy disks. These systems are costly to maintain and increasingly unreliable.

• By the numbers: 92% of the FAA’s facilities and equipment budget currently goes to repairs and maintenance every year.
• The big picture: Maintaining an outdated system is no longer acceptable and a poor use of taxpayer dollars.

What’s needed: Congress must invest in new, modern technologies that will sustain and enhance air safety.

• The solution: A real and immediate investment in ATC modernization. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has put forward a blueprint for modernization and controller staffing that has broad, bipartisan support. Congress should act this year to pass essential ATC modernization legislation to improve the safety and efficiency of our aviation system.

The bottom line: The cost of doing nothing is far too great. Congress must take immediate, bipartisan action to make America’s air traffic control system the safest in the world.

“From pilots who navigate these skies daily, our message is unequivocal: Now is the time for immediate, decisive action, with a steadfast commitment to safeguard and enhance aviation’s safety and efficiency.” ALPA President Capt. Jason Ambrosi

Tell Congress: Modernize Air Traffic Control Now!