Feds hope to get $12.5B in initial spending for air traffic control reform

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s administration recently announced a plan that needs billions to upgrade air traffic control systems nationwide.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy addressed the issues that caused delays at Newark Liberty International Airport.

“What you see in Newark, we are going to have to fix, we are going to do it fast, but we’re going to do it right. We could see other situations like this around the country because the system is old,” Duffy said.

The House Transportation Committee proposed allocating $12.5 billion. Sen. Rick Scott said it’s a problem that has to be fixed.

“Whether it’s technology, it’s having the right people, whether it’s having the right training ... or the right process, something has got to change,” Scott said.

Curt Castagna, president of the National Air Transportation Association, said the Federal Aviation Administration needs the upgrades.

“Certainly, the FAA has put some modernization into towers and certain environments but not really to the level needed to make it more modern,” Castagna said.

Duffy said Congress has to support his plan to complete the much-needed updates to the country’s air traffic system in three to four years.

The plan also includes a “full replacement” of the telecommunications infrastructure by transitioning from Time Division Multiplexing to Internet Protocol by 2028. It also aims to replace about 5,000 new radios and open six new control centers.

“This is a plan to build everything new,” Duffy said. “It’s going to be complicated but we don’t want more Newarks.”

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