US House of Representatives passes USD12.5bn in ATC infrastructure upgrades
US House of Representatives passed (03-Jul-2025) the revised Senate version of the budget reconciliation bill, including USD12.5 billion for the following new and upgraded air traffic control (ATC) infrastructure:
- USD4.7 billion for telecommunications infrastructure modernisation and systems upgrades;
- USD3 billion for radar systems replacement;
- USD1.9 billion for construction of a new route traffic control centre;
- USD550 million for unstaffed infrastructure sustainment and replacement;
- USD500 million for runway safety and airport surveillance projects;
- USD300 million for the US Department of Transportation and US FAA to evaluate and expedite implementation of NextGen initiatives, including performance based navigation, data communications, terminal flight data manager and aeronautical information management;
- USD50 million for remote towers.
President Donald Trump is expected to sign the bill into law on 04-Jul-2025. [more - Aviation Week]
Background ✨
The US Department of Transportation Secretary recently outlined a comprehensive plan to replace core air traffic control infrastructure, including telecommunications, radar, and facilities, with actions such as replacing 618 radars and building six new ATC centres, citing economic and national security needs for urgent modernisation1. The FY2026 federal budget proposed a 6% increase in DoT discretionary spending, prioritising NAS facility and radar upgrades2.