Trump Administration Unveils Ambitious Plan to Overhaul US Air Traffic Control System, Criticizes Buttigieg’s Handling

The Trump administration has launched a comprehensive initiative to rebuild and modernize the United States’ air traffic control (ATC) system. The Department of Transportation (DOT) unveiled a detailed three-year plan to construct a state-of-the-art system designed to address critical safety needs and propel the nation’s air travel infrastructure into the future. The announcement was accompanied by sharp criticism from former President Donald Trump, who asserted that his predecessor’s Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, lacked the understanding to address the system’s deficiencies.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy formally presented the proposal, emphasizing that it would replace the existing, outdated Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) system. The upgrades aim to enhance safety in the skies, minimize flight delays, and unlock new potential for air travel. Duffy underscored the importance of the project, stating, "Americans deserve to have a state-of-the-art air travel system," and framing it as a "once-in-a-generation opportunity" to build a modern system.

Duffy pointed out that decades of neglect have resulted in an outdated system showing its age. He stressed that constructing a new system is essential for both economic and national security, emphasizing that "the time to fix it is now."

The proposed ATC system overhaul involves replacing critical infrastructure components, including radar systems, software, hardware, and telecommunications networks. The modernized system is intended to effectively manage the demands of contemporary air travel. Duffy explained that the current system was designed for the past, while the new proposal is aimed at building a system "for the future." The plan seeks to equip facilities with advanced technologies to reduce outages, improve efficiency, and strengthen overall safety.

Trump elaborated on the scope of the project, stating, "We’re going to be buying a brand-new, state-of-the-art system that will cover the entire world."

The DOT’s plan encompasses four key infrastructure components: communications, surveillance, automation, and facilities. The plan aims to replace existing telecommunications systems with modern fiber, wireless, and satellite technologies at over 4,600 sites by 2028, involving 25,000 new radios and 475 new voice switches. The proposal also includes replacing 618 radars by 2027.

Runway safety is another focus of the plan, with the goal of increasing the number of airports equipped with the Surface Awareness Initiative to 200 by 2027.

Duffy criticized the previous administration’s handling of the situation, "Duffy Blasts Biden, Buttigieg for Ignoring Report About Failing Air Traffic Control System: Did Nothing!"

The DOT also proposed constructing six new air traffic control centers, representing the first additions since the 1960s. Additionally, the plan calls for replacing 15 towers and 15 co-located Terminal Radar Approach Controls (TRACONs), which manage air traffic in the airspace surrounding busy airports.

To ensure a cohesive and efficient system, the proposal includes installing new modern hardware and software at all air traffic facilities, creating a common platform across all towers, TRACONs, and centers.

The proposal also addresses the need for improved technologies in critical locations such as the Caribbean and Alaska. The deployment of additional technologies aims to provide accurate, real-time surveillance and weather information for air traffic control and pilots, ensuring safer and more efficient flights in these areas.

Officials emphasized the urgent need for a new air traffic control system, citing the FAA’s struggles to cope with a "rapidly growing, complex, and demanding aviation sector," as commercial air travel returns to pre-pandemic levels. They also noted the emergence of new challenges, including the increasing use of drones and advanced air mobility solutions.

The FAA’s existing systems are showing their age, officials said, leading to delays and inefficiencies. The DOT maintained that the current National Airspace System (NAS) is safe but emphasized that continuous maintenance and upgrades are essential to preserve safety.

The proposal is structured as a three-year framework for reinvesting in the NAS, and it calls for an "emergency supplemental funding increase."

The proposal stated that modernizing the NAS "can no longer take 10+ years to complete; it must be done now." The document further called for "an immediate infusion of funding to address critical infrastructure needs."

Duffy stressed the need for congressional support to secure the necessary funding. "I need help, I can’t do it by myself. And it’s going to take the help of the Congress to make that happen," he said, emphasizing the need for "all of the money up front."

Duffy cautioned that requesting funds in "small tranches" over several years would prolong the project. "Politics change, leadership changes, presidents change, interest changes, and it never gets built," he explained. He pledged to provide Congress with quarterly updates on the project’s progress and expenditures.

Duffy warned that without the necessary upfront funding, the project could take "10 to 15 years to build." "And by the time we get done with it, what we’re going to build is already going to be old technology," he added, underscoring the importance of completing the project in three to four years with congressional support.

A report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) indicated that the Trump administration inherited an outdated FAA system from the Biden administration, noting that urgent attention was needed to remedy the safety issues left by Biden.

According to the GAO, the FAA did not prioritize or establish near-term plans to modernize unsustainable and critical systems under the Biden administration. The GAO’s report in 2025 said the 2023 national airspace prompted an operational risk assessment, which found that of the 138 air traffic control systems, 51 or 37% were deemed unsustainable by FAA and 54 or 39% were potentially unsustainable.

Trump criticized the current "ancient infrastructure," stating that "it’s buckling under the weight of more than a billion flying passengers a year and supporting hundreds of billions of dollars." He also asserted that former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg "had no clue what the problem was," adding, "He had no clue. Zero. Zero."

Trump also suggested that Buttigieg’s aspirations for higher office were misguided. The federal government currently spends $250 million annually to maintain the outdated equipment.

Duffy said that the administration has assembled an "unprecedented coalition of support" from labor to industry, stressing that support is indicative of just how important it is to this administration to get done what no one else could." "The American people are counting on us, and we won’t let them down," Duffy added.

The proposal’s rollout comes shortly after the FAA issued a ground delay for Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey due to staffing shortages, weather, and construction. "Our antiquated air traffic control system is affecting our workforce," an FAA statement read, adding that "we must get the best safety technology in the hands of controllers as soon as possible."

The rollout also followed the public release of air traffic controller audio from an incident on April 28 where radar and radio communications with planes were briefly lost at Newark Liberty International Airport.

The outage lasted approximately 90 seconds. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association confirmed the incident, stating that the FAA’s operation in Philadelphia "temporarily lost radar and communications with the aircraft under their control, unable to see, hear, or talk to them."