$12.5 billion ‘down payment’ brings air traffic control out of 1990s. Now, more money is needed for new software and AI

By Alexandra Skores, CNN

Washington (CNN) — The Department of Transportation is eliminating antiquated paper strips, copper communications wiring and computer floppy discs, but it says more money is needed to keep upgrading the decades-old air traffic control system, and integrate new technologies like artificial intelligence and software to streamline US flights.

At a news conference at the DOT headquarters on Tuesday, the agency showed the progress it has made in almost a year since it announced plans to build a new air traffic control system.

Congress allocated $12.5 billion in President Donald Trump’s spending bill – which the administration calls a “down payment” – but there’s still more to be done, said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

“We are going to need more money for the software side of this build,” Duffy told a room full of reporters and officials. “(Congress is) going to have to find a pathway to get us the rest of that money. It’s going to take us time to develop it, deploy it, debug it, train on it.”

The decades-old system has been under scrutiny by lawmakers, aviation officials and the public after a series of crashes and other high-profile incidents, spotlighting the stress controllers are under.

A fatal collision last month killed two pilots when their Air Canada regional jet hit a fire truck on a runway while landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. The cause of that crash is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Last year, 67 people were killed when a military helicopter collided with a plane landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The NTSB found in that accident the controllers had “degraded performance due to the high workload.”

What that $12.5 billion bought

Since the approval of Trump’s spending bill, almost 50% of all copper wires in the air traffic control system have been replaced, approximately 270 radio sites were converted and 17 towers started using electronic flight strips, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

Over 4,500 FAA sites are also receiving new radars, digital voice switches and training simulators.

“We were given $12.5 billion, but the $12.5 billion, the Congress was very specific on how we had to use it,” Duffy said.

The company Peraton was awarded a contract to upgrade the system and is focusing on four areas: wires, communication, radars and electronic flight strips.

Copper wiring, which was used for communications for decades, is one of the first things being replaced.

In May, a new fiberoptic cable went online between Philadelphia and New York to improve telecommunications at the air traffic control facility that handles flights arriving and departing Newark Liberty International Airport, after a series of outages last year led to major delays.

“We fixed Newark, and we are fixing the rest of the country and replacing the old, outdated copper with high-speed fiber, wireless and satellites,” said Rebecca Guy, acting chief technology officer at the FAA. “This creates a safer, faster and reliable network.”

Decades-old radios and voice switches also need to be replaced.

“Communications aren’t as smooth as they should be,” Guy said. “Static causes issues. The old voice switches are not as reliable, and we need reliability for our people.”

Many of the air traffic control system’s radars, used to track the location and altitude of aircraft, date back to the 1970s and are hard to get parts to repair.

Electronic flight strips are also replacing the printed pieces of paper that controllers use to keep track of aircraft they are monitoring. The faster real-time data updates will give controllers more time to pay attention to planes, according to the FAA.

“Using paper strips today often means controllers are having to do administrative tasks, whether it’s passing that flight strip or counting, and that collectively can cause a loss of situational awareness,” Guy said.

It’s work that was long overdue, according to Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, the union which represents controllers.

“Air traffic control is about saving seconds,” Daniels told CNN. “Every chance I get to save a second, that’s another moment I have to ensure the safety of the American public. These types of equipment, this new information, having it at our fingertips and readily, easily accessible, that’s what’s going to make a difference.”

What’s next?

The DOT’s goal is to complete the total overhaul of the air traffic control system by the end of 2028.

“For the most part, we’re on track to have this project completed before President Trump leaves office,” Duffy said.

Duffy said he needs an additional $7 to $10 billion to upgrade the software, and will leave it to Congress to decide how to fund additional upgrades to facilities.

“I truly believe this can be done,” Guy said. “We usually take 10 to 20 years, and … now (we) have to do it in three.”

Justin Ciaccio, president of Peraton’s national aerospace solutions sector said it will also deploy artificial intelligence to make aviation safer and more efficient.

“Risks are caught before they become crises. Schedules are stress tested before they break… Tasks that used to take the team days or weeks, they are now complete in minutes or even seconds,” Ciaccio said. “That is the new baseline… This technology does not replace people. It makes them superhuman.”

Though Duffy reiterated that human air traffic controllers will continue to be in charge.

“We’ll use AI tools, but AI doesn’t make decisions,” Duffy said.

Three additional vendors are working with the FAA to begin work with artificial intelligence, although Duffy wouldn’t name them. He said the FAA “looked within our couch cushions” to fund those projects.

For the rest of the money for the new system, Duffy has to turn to Congress – which he implored for funding.

“This is an American win that the Congress needs to come together and say, just give Duffy the money. Make it happen, and he’s going to spend it well, and he’s going to deliver for you. Give me the cash,” he said.

Pete Muntean contributed to this report.

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