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US air traffic control systems get long-awaited makeover

The U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration are one year into a three-year plan to modernize air traffic control systems, upgrading wires, communications, radars, and flight strips nationwide.
Prompted by a deadly midair collision near Washington, the agency is replacing 25-year-old technology. Duffy stated, "We are still using floppy disks, flight strips paper flight strips and we are using an old network."
The FAA expects to upgrade 4,600 sites by 2028, with current progress including 270 converted radio sites, 17 ATC towers using electronic flight strips, and 54 airports deploying Surface Awareness Systems.
Duffy said the USDOT needs at least $20 billion more in funding, while the administration has already invested $12.5 billion from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and requested $26.6 billion for 2027.
Integrating artificial intelligence into workflows aims to predict safety issues proactively. Flight Safety Foundation CEO Hassan Shahidi said, "The FAA is planning to use AI and AI-related technology to be able to tap into that information.

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