FAA head says billions more needed to modernize air traffic control

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FOX Local
Published September 16, 2026 5:41 PM CDT

FILE-Bryan Bedford, administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), appears during a House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies hearing in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, Sept. 15 …

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The Brief

    • Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Bryan Bedford is calling on Congress to approve extra funding for the agency to refine its air traffic control system.
    • The FAA has thousands of projects it seeks to complete and needs the requisite money for its phase one plans.
    • Last year, Congress authorized billions of dollars for air traffic control enhancements.

Bryan Bedford, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration, states that phase one of a plan to modernize air traffic control will ‌cost billions of dollars more than Congress has approved.

In 2025, Congress approved $12.5 billion for air traffic control improvements, which includes $9 billion for air traffic modernization and $3.5 billion for facilities construction.

RELATED: FAA invests $121M for airport modifications to reduce risk of runway incursions

Citing a Government Accountability Office ​report released on Tuesday, Reuters reported that the FAA underestimated the ​total costs of operating the new system or establishing a schedule for completing ‌modifications. 

Reuters noted that the GAO said the FAA has more than 11,000 other projects in its first phase and previously projected it would cost $10.6 billion. Last year, Bedford explained that the FAA wanted nearly $16 billion for phase one projects. 

FAA head addresses air traffic control costs for updates

What they're saying:

Speaking at the U.S. ​House of Representatives subcommittee hearing, Bryan Bedford told lawmakers: "It's ​costing $16 billion to do phase one," Reuters reported.

Bedford added that the Federal Aviation Administration is ⁠funding the gap out of its facilities and equipment budget. The ​federal agency is requesting an additional $10 billion for the second phase of the ​project and Bedford encourages legislators to approve the funding. 

Separately, Congress approved funding to refine⁠ the aging air traffic control system and enhance air traffic control hiring after years of complaints related to airport ​gridlock and flight delays and technology ​problems.

The Source: Information for this story was provided by Reuters, which cites comments from FAA head Bryan Bedford and a Government Accountability Office ​report. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.


 

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