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FAA launches AI tool for air traffic congestion
Airports in the Washington, DC area will see changes as the FAA launches a cloud‑based artificial intelligence platform designed to help get planes to their destinations on time. FOX 5 DC's Stephanie Ramirez joined LiveNOW's Josh Breslow to explain.
WASHINGTON - The White House is asking Congress to approve an additional $30.1 billion to modernize the nation's aging airports and air traffic control system, citing outdated technology, flight disruptions and safety concerns.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought outlined the funding request in a letter to lawmakers Friday, urging Congress to act quickly.
Trump administration seeks $30 billion to upgrade airports, air traffic control
By the numbers:
More specifically, the Trump administration said it is seeking $10.1 billion for air traffic control modernization, including $7.2 billion for a common automation platform and controller workstations and $2 billion for cloud computing.
Travelers wait in line at Terminal E at George Bush International Airport on March 19, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Credit: Antranik Tavitian/Getty Images)
The request also includes $2 billion to replace and improve Federal Aviation Administration air traffic control towers and $18 billion for airport-related projects, including $10 billion to modernize or replace aging terminals.
What they're saying:
"This investment is critical to complete the modernization of our national airspace - delivering a resilient telecommunications backbone for air traffic controllers, modern hardware and software, state-of-the-art control towers, and world-class airport infrastructure," Duffy and Vought wrote to lawmakers asking for action.
Request comes as US aviation system faces challenges
The backstory:
Congress previously approved $12.5 billion over five years in July 2025 to upgrade air traffic control technology and increase controller staffing.
The latest request also comes as the U.S. aviation system faces continued challenges involving outdated equipment, staffing and infrastructure.
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On Friday, a nationwide ground stop has been issued by the Air Traffic Control System Command Center on Friday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The most recent advisory posted to the FAA website read: "DCC has implemented extended flight plan drop times to 240 minutes for all enroute centers due to nationwide comms failure."
The FAA also said last week it planned to phase out floppy disks used to transmit weather and other critical information at more than 400 air traffic control facilities by the end of 2028.
RELATED: FAA to finally phase out floppy disks from air traffic control systems by 2028
Flight disruptions have also highlighted vulnerabilities in the system. In September, a circuit failure at an air traffic facility in Philadelphia and a construction crew's accidental severing of a fiber-optic cable in New Jersey contributed to thousands of delayed or canceled flights across the Northeast.
A January 2025 midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport that killed 67 people also renewed concerns about aviation safety.
What’s Next: The White House is pressing the Republican-led Congress to approve the additional funding before the end of the year. Democrats are scheduled to take control of Congress in January.
The Source: This story was reported from Los Angeles. Reuters, previous FOX Local reporting contributed.