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U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that a new air traffic control system will cost $31.5 billion. Speaking at a House Transportation and Infrastructure committee meeting on Wednesday (July 16), Duffy emphasized the urgency of securing additional funding to complete the project. The plan, unveiled in May, aims to modernize the system by 2028, replacing over 25,000 radios, 475 voice switches, and 618 radars, contingent on further financial support from Congress.
The project has already secured a $12.5 billion down payment under President Donald Trump's recent infrastructure bill. Duffy compared the current system to outdated technology, stating, "It's like you're on your computer, you're using Microsoft 95 versus what's available today."
He estimated that selecting a company to update the software could take six to eight months, with an additional six to 10 months needed for debugging before deployment.
Duffy also mentioned the possibility of Elon Musk's Starlink participating in the project, though concerns about conflicts of interest with SpaceX employees consulting at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have been raised. Representative Julia Brownley highlighted these concerns, and Duffy assured that Starlink could bid on satellite communication aspects of the system in the future.
The comprehensive overhaul of the air traffic control system aims to improve efficiency and safety, reflecting the administration's commitment to revitalizing America's infrastructure.