WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 01: U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy holds a news conference about adding more air traffic controllers to the workforce at the DOT headquarters on May 01, 2025 in Washington, DC. Counter to the Trump Administration’s historic layoffs of federal workers, Duffy announced incentives to train new air traffic controllers and to retain controllers that may be close to retirement. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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Last May, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy committed to modernizing the “antiquated” infrastructure that forms the backbone of the U.S. national airspace system, much of which dates back to the 1960s. The effort, which has received $12.5 billion in funding through the One Big Beautiful Bill, would replace ageing infrastructure at over 4,600 sites nationwide that U.S. air traffic controllers use as they coordinate air traffic in a system that has grown twelvefold since the equipment was first installed.
Now, as proof of progress, the Federal Aviation Administration has launched a new website where travellers can track how far along the program to modernise air traffic control is, nationally and locally.
The Modern Skies website, which went live just ahead of the busy Memorial Day weekend, includes information on over 10,000 air traffic control modernization projects currently running. “The site’s data will be updated monthly to ensure the flying public has an unprecedented level of transparency into how their tax dollars are being spent,” the FAA states in the announcement.
U.S. Air Traffic Control Is Short On Staff And Infrastructure
The U.S. has been contending with an ongoing shortage of trained air traffic controllers, with staffing levels lagging after a series of government shutdowns that left air traffic controllers unpaid. Duffy committed to “supercharging” Air Traffic Control by boosting recruitment and training, but progress has been mixed.
Controllers work in stressful conditions, managing the busy national airspace system with analogue equipment and outdated communications systems prone to failure. When these systems fail, they can generate a cascade of flight delays and cancellations across the country.
The FAA has been forced to reduce air traffic during critical resource shortages by cutting flights at major airports.
What The Modern Skies Website Shows
The new website provides project oversight, detailing the various steps and tasks of the NAS modernization program and an interactive map that shows which projects are active throughout the U.S. Individuals can also search for the status of local projects by entering a city, state, airport code, ZIP code, or congressional district.
The site’s data is updated monthly to reflect completed projects and upcoming projects.
“One of the reasons past air traffic control modernization efforts failed was a lack of transparency. We’re taking a different approach – letting every American get a front row view of how President Trump is revolutionizing our skies,” Duffy said in the FAA’s announcement on Friday. “We’re forecasting 5.4 million flights from Memorial Day through Labor Day weekend — 54,000 today alone. That surging demand underscores why the work we’re doing is so important. Ahead of a busy travel weekend, I hope every flyer checks our website as we work to build the safest and most technologically advanced air traffic control system in the world.”
A Much-Needed Update To Outdated NAS Infrastructure
The air traffic control modernization program will replace core infrastructure, including radar, software, hardware, and telecommunications equipment, at over 4,600 sites across the country. According to the FAA, by the end of 2028, the project would have installed:
- 5,000 new high-speed network connections on fiber, wireless, and satellite
- 27,000 new radios
- 450 new digital voice switches
- 612 state-of-the-art radars
- 44 airports with replacement surface radars
- 200 airports with new Surface Awareness Initiative surveillance technology
- 89 airports with electronic flight strips
- 435 control towers with new Enterprise Information Display Systems
- 113 control towers with new Tower Simulation Systems
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said, “The FAA is undertaking the most significant transformation of America’s air traffic control system in generations, and we are committed to being transparent and accountable every step of the way. The American people deserve a clear view of how these investments are being executed and the progress being made to modernize our skies. Now, we’re sharing that directly with the flying public as we start the busy summer travel season.”
Progress Over The Past Year
Progress chart of projects published to the FAA’s new Modern Skies website as of May 25.
Federal Aviation Administration
The FAA reports that over the past year, since the program was announced, it has already:
- Replaced 51% of all copper wires
- Converted 282 radio sites nationwide
- Installed 69 new Surface Awareness Initiative systems
- Transitioned 17 towers to electronic flight strips
- Installed 62 IP voice switches at control towers
The FAA says the wide-ranging air traffic control modernization program will take over 10 million labor hours or 1.5 million working days to complete. The FAA has contracted 52 vendors to support the various projects, and hired laborers in 21 specialized categories, ranging from welders to programmers.
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