Press Releases

Washington, DC – The Aviation Subcommittee today called together a panel of witnesses to discuss the need to invest in modernizing and adequately staffing the U.S. air traffic control (ATC) system.

Recent tragic accidents have highlighted the need to improve the ATC system, and President Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy have both voiced support for new investments in ATC hiring, facilities, and technologies.  The FAA Reauthorization Act – signed into law last year – also included provisions to promote controller hiring and technology improvements.

“As a committee, we must decide how to utilize advancements in technology to supplement the daily work done by our dedicated air traffic controllers in the towers and the centers,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO). “I look forward to working with fellow Members and stakeholders to find commonsense solutions that will improve the hiring of controllers, boost the air traffic control system, and advance safety for the flying public.  Furthermore, I am excited that both President Trump and Secretary Duffy have voiced their support for historic investments in air traffic control facilities and technologies.”

“This moment in time represents a unique opportunity for the Members of this subcommittee and all aviation stakeholders to coalesce around a common goal: meaningful air traffic control modernization that will benefit the flying public and all users of the National Airspace System,” said Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Troy E. Nehls.

Witness testimony focused on the need to improve the ATC system, and how Congress might achieve that goal.

Heather Krause, Managing Director of Physical Infrastructure at the U.S. Government Accountability Office provided concerning details about the age of ATC equipment and systems: “After the 2023 outage of its Notice to Airmen system, FAA conducted an operational risk assessment to evaluate the sustainability of all its ATC systems. The assessment determined that of its 138 systems, 51 (37 percent) were unsustainable, and 54 (39 percent) were potentially unsustainable. Of the 105 unsustainable or potentially unsustainable systems, 73 were deployed over 20 years ago, with 40 being deployed over 30 years ago, and six of those deployed over 60 years ago.”

Chairman Nehls noted: “For a country that considers itself the gold standard in aviation safety, these numbers are unacceptable, and we must do better.”

Nicholas E. Calio, President and Chief Executive Officer of Airlines for America, described current circumstances as a bipartisan opportunity to act to improve the ATC system and hiring:  “This should not be a partisan or jurisdictional issue, instead it should serve as a unique opportunity for the Administration, authorizing committees and appropriations committees to come together on a solution set that markedly improves FAA’s ability to plan and execute staffing and modernization efforts through Congressionally overseen predictable capital funding and use of personnel and procurement reforms which were given to the FAA in 1995, but never fully utilized.  It is paramount that Congress, the Administration and the aviation community come together and embrace bold and decisive action to ensure that we do not squander this opportunity for historically meaningful change.”

Pete Bunce, President and Chief Executive Officer of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, highlighted the importance of implementing the recent FAA law’s provisions and offered support for doing more: “The wide industry consensus evident in recent letters is built upon the strong foundation of all the great, bipartisan work from the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. The legislation took important steps in identifying and addressing the current challenges we face through provisions focusing on air traffic workforce hiring, training and staffing, requiring the FAA provide additional information about unfunded ATC system capital investment needs, developing an air traffic control realignment report to examine the consolidation or reorganizing of air traffic facilities and equipment as well as the management of airspace controlled by these facilities. We must now build on these successful bipartisan efforts, providing funding, financial flexibility, and implementation of other reforms to advance FAA management of the NAS.”

Click here to read the letter and legislative suggestions from a coalition of over 30 aviation organizations.

Nick Daniels, President of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, discussed the importance of the sustained maximum hiring of air traffic controllers for years to come, and agreed with Secretary Duffy’s intent to train the “best and brightest” controllers: “Without proper controller staffing, investments in infrastructure and modernization programs will not yield their full potential…. In the wake of the DCA accident, Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated his objective for hiring and training air traffic controllers was to ensure ‘that only the best and the brightest serve in this incredibly important body at the Department of Transportation.’ NATCA wholeheartedly agrees and is committed to working with Secretary Duffy, the Administration, and Congress to recruit, train, and retain the best and the brightest, while continuing to address critical issues like pay, benefits, and the mounting stress that comes with this demanding profession.”

Dave Spero, President, Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, also expressed willingness to continue working with the Committee to strengthen the ATC system: “PASS is ready to work with you to ensure that the United States air traffic control system remains the safest aviation system in the world…. PASS thanks this subcommittee for their work to pass legislation reauthorizing the FAA through FY 2028. Important language in the legislation, that PASS supported, will go a long way toward protecting our workforce now and in the future.”

Paul Rinaldi, President and Co-Founder of Rinaldi Consultants, discussed how the U.S. is falling behind in technology because of outdated procurement processes and inconsistent funding stability: “The U.S. has long led the world in aviation innovation, but today, we are being lapped by other countries. Our outdated procurement process forces us to develop and deploy systems under decades-old regulations and inconsistent funding, leading to delays and obsolescence before implementation…. I urge this committee to take the necessary steps—whether through policy, funding, or regulatory support—to ensure that we, as a nation, do not stumble.”

Click here for more information from today’s hearing.