White House Seeks $30.1 Billion for Aviation Upgrades
The White House and the Department of Transportation on Friday urged Congress to approve a further $30.1 billion to upgrade America’s ageing airports and air traffic control system, in the latest push to modernise infrastructure that has struggled with congestion, delays and outdated technology.
The request was made by White House budget director Russell Vought and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Reuters reported. It calls for $10.1 billion for air traffic control modernisation, $2 billion to replace and improve Federal Aviation Administration control towers, and $18 billion for airport-related projects, including $10 billion to modernise or replace ageing terminals.
The administration wants the Republican-led Congress to approve the funding in the final weeks of the year, before Democrats take control of Congress in January. The request still needs congressional approval, including decisions on how much should go to the FAA and how much should support airport projects.
Where the money would go
The largest single share of the air traffic control request is automation. About $7.2 billion would go to a common automation platform and new controller workstations, while $2 billion would be spent on cloud computing, according to the request.
The $2 billion for towers would pay to replace and improve FAA air traffic control towers across the country. The $18 billion for airports would cover a range of projects, with $10 billion set aside to modernise or replace older terminals.
The American Quorum reported that the request follows an earlier push by Senator Eric Schmitt, a Missouri Republican, who introduced the Modern Skies Act in September. The Government Accountability Office warned in September that the FAA needed better cost and schedule planning for its modernisation programme.
A second round of funding
Congress has already approved $12.5 billion over five years, in July 2025, to upgrade air traffic control and increase the hiring of controllers, following complaints about airport congestion, flight delays and technology problems. The new request would come on top of that funding.
The system has been under strain for months. The FAA ordered flight cuts at 40 airports during the government shutdown, and the agency has been working through a shortage of air traffic controllers that has contributed to delays at busy airports. At the same time, the FAA switched on America’s first digital air traffic towers in Florida and Alaska, a step towards replacing some ageing tower infrastructure with remote technology.
Airlines have also been investing in airport infrastructure. United Airlines opened a new 14-gate concourse at Washington Dulles, part of a wider programme of terminal upgrades at major US hubs.
What happens next
The request now goes to Congress, where lawmakers must decide whether to approve the funding and how to divide it between the FAA and airport projects. The administration is pressing for action before the end of the year, while Republicans still hold both chambers.
If approved, the money would fund one of the largest airport and air traffic control upgrades in years, covering automation, towers, terminals and the cloud systems that underpin them. If Congress does not act, the FAA would continue with the $12.5 billion already approved last year, while the wider modernisation programme waits for a new round of funding.
The request is a test of how far Congress is willing to go on aviation infrastructure after a year in which delays, staffing shortages and ageing systems have repeatedly made headlines. For travellers, the question is whether the money arrives in time to ease the congestion that has defined much of 2026.
