“We use an incredibly old, antiquated system, technology from the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s,” Duffy said, adding that the goal is to deliver “the best technology” for managing U.S. airspace. 

.@SecDuffy says the DCA crash inspired the effort to modernize ATC: “ What we realized was that we use an incredibly old, antiquated system technology from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s, what we did is, at that moment, commit to building a brand new air traffic control system.” pic.twitter.com/mA2OwB7ZjC

— Samantha-Jo Roth (@SamanthaJoRoth) April 21, 2026

Duffy’s remarks came as aviation safety faces renewed scrutiny following a deadly January 2025 midair collision over the Potomac River that killed 67 people, along with a series of near misses and runway incidents that have raised concerns about the system’s reliability. 

The transportation secretary emphasized that flying remains safe, but credited that safety more to personnel than infrastructure.

“It is safe, but it’s not safe because we have the best system in place,” he said. “It’s safe because we have fantastic air traffic controllers and highly skilled pilots.” 

What’s been done so far

Officials highlighted early progress on the sweeping overhaul, which spans more than 4,600 Federal Aviation Administration facilities and is expected to take more than 10 million labor hours to complete. 

They said crews have already replaced nearly half of the nation’s legacy copper wiring with fiber and converted roughly 270 radio sites nationwide. The FAA has installed surface awareness systems at 54 airports to improve how controllers track aircraft on-site, and 17 towers have moved away from paper flight strips to digital systems. 

At the same time, officials said the FAA has accelerated hiring within its air traffic controller workforce, a long-standing strain on the system that has contributed to delays and operational stress. The agency has recruited roughly 2,400 new hires since last March, pushing staffing to its highest level in six years, with about 11,000 certified controllers and more than 4,000 trainees in the pipeline. The FAA has also cut hiring timelines by more than five months, boosted recruitment by 20% year over year, and introduced bonuses to retain veteran controllers and attract new ones. 

Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said the hiring push reflects meaningful progress but cautioned that rebuilding the workforce will take time.

“This is a long-term investment,” Daniels said, noting that training new controllers and restoring staffing levels across facilities cannot happen overnight.

Chris Sununu, president and CEO of Airlines for America and former New Hampshire governor, said the scope of the upgrades reflects a broader shift in how the system is being modernized.

“This isn’t just a tweak or an upgrade,” Sununu said. “This is a full transformation of how the system works.” 

The effort now spans more than 20 specialized labor categories and dozens of vendors, reflecting the scale of what officials describe as one of the largest aviation infrastructure projects in decades. 

Looking ahead, the Transportation Department expects to deploy thousands of additional upgrades by 2028, including tens of thousands of radios, hundreds of digital voice switches, more than 600 modern radar systems, and thousands of high-speed network connections built on fiber, satellite, and wireless technology. 

Following the event, officials walked reporters and attendees through a small exhibit showing the contrast between legacy systems and the technology now being installed. Displays paired aging radar cabinets, copper wiring, and analog radios with newer digital replacements, highlighting how much of the current system still relies on decades-old equipment. 

One setup showed how controllers still rely on paper flight strips in some towers, whereas electronic versions allow real-time tracking on a single screen. Other demonstrations focused on upgraded radios and telecommunications networks designed to reduce static, prevent outages, and improve reliability.

Large screens also showcased newer software tools and surface tracking systems that give controllers a clearer, real-time view of aircraft and ground traffic, particularly in low-visibility conditions, underscoring the scale and urgency of the modernization effort.

FAA, Peraton, and a faster buildout

The FAA is leading the overhaul in partnership with contractor Peraton, which is serving as the system integrator coordinating upgrades across thousands of facilities, from radar installations and telecommunications networks to tower systems and digital flight-tracking tools.

Officials said the work spans multiple parallel tracks, including replacing legacy copper infrastructure with fiber and wireless networks, deploying new radios and digital voice switches, upgrading radar systems, and rolling out software that allows controllers to manage traffic and aircraft movement in real time across integrated platforms.

Peraton president Justin Ciacio said the company is using artificial intelligence to manage the scale and complexity of the effort, analyzing millions of data points tied to construction schedules, equipment deployment, workforce availability, and operational risk.

“Tasks that used to take days or weeks … are now complete in minutes or even seconds,” Ciacio said.

FAA Chief Technology Officer Rebecca Guy said the agency has reorganized the modernization effort into core workstreams, including telecommunications, communications systems, surveillance and radar, and digital data platforms, allowing teams to build and deploy multiple pieces of the system at once rather than in sequence.

“We usually take 10 to 20 years, and what we have to do now is do it in three,” she said.

A central piece of that effort is developing new software and data systems that can better predict congestion, manage aircraft spacing, and provide controllers a more complete real-time picture of traffic both in the air and on the ground.

But that portion of the project remains underfunded.

Pressed by reporters on the FAA’s use of AI, Duffy said the agency is already working with three vendors on early development, though he declined to name them.

“We do have three, and we have looked within our couch cushions at the FAA to start the work,” Duffy said, adding that the department has identified limited internal funding to begin engaging industry.

He stressed, however, that Congress will need to approve additional funding to fully build out the software systems that underpin the modernization effort.

“The $12.5 billion … Congress was very specific on how we had to use it,” Duffy said. “We can’t switch pots of money.

“We don’t want to get the infrastructure … and then have to wait 10 years for the software,” Duffy said, adding that the administration is updating Congress quarterly and aims to complete the current phase of the project by the end of 2028.

Incidents highlight urgency

The focus on modernization comes as federal officials continue to investigate a series of recent aviation incidents that have raised concerns about safety and system strain.

Officials were pressed by reporters during the briefing on those incidents, including a near-collision between two Southwest Airlines flights at Nashville International Airport on Saturday evening after one aircraft was reportedly guided into the path of another during a go-around, according to the FAA. The episode adds to a growing number of close calls at U.S. airports, particularly on parallel runways where precise coordination between pilots and air traffic controllers is critical to maintaining safe separation.

Bedford said the incident stemmed from an unstable approach that prompted the pilot to initiate a go-around, a standard safety maneuver.

“With roughly 55,000 [instrument flight rules] flights a day and another 25,000 general aviation flights in the airspace, this was not a near miss as you would define it, but certainly it was an unplanned event,” Bedford said, adding that the aircraft remained separated by roughly 1,000 feet due to runway configuration.

The incident comes as investigators continue to examine a March collision between an Air Canada Express aircraft and a fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia Airport that killed both pilots and left dozens injured, renewing concerns about operational safety and staffing shortages.

Those concerns intensified after the National Transportation Safety Board issued a sweeping rebuke of the FAA at the beginning of this year, concluding the agency failed for years to address known safety risks in the congested airspace around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, shortcomings that culminated in a deadly midair collision in January 2025.

The crash, involving a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and a regional American Airlines jet, killed all 67 people aboard both aircraft when they collided over the Potomac River just southeast of the airport, marking the deadliest U.S. aviation disaster since 2001.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the modernization effort is designed in part to reduce those risks by giving controllers better tools to manage increasingly complex airspace.

“The tools that are being developed will be incredibly helpful to air traffic controllers,” Duffy said. “We think airspace will not just be more efficient, but it will be a lot safer.”

Long-delayed overhaul

The effort builds on a broader initiative Duffy rolled out in May 2025 alongside airline executives and families of victims from the January collision, aimed at replacing outdated systems, reducing delays, and preparing for future demand.

A 2024 Government Accountability Office report found that more than 100 of the FAA’s 138 air traffic control systems were unsustainable or nearing the end of their lifecycle, underscoring the urgency of the overhaul.

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After decades of stalled efforts, Duffy said the administration is determined to deliver.

“What was promised 25 years ago is going to be delivered … in two and a half years,” he said.