ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
U.S. FAA to spend $6 billion on air traffic telecom, radar
The FAA's air traffic telecom system has been hit by a series of failures, including serious outages covering Newark traffic.
-
Reuters - Tue, 16, Dec 2025
- 15:11 EST
- 14
A view of the air traffic control tower at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., January 11, 2023. / REUTERS/Jim Vondruska
U.S. Federal Aviation Administration head Bryan Bedford said on Dec. 16 the agency is committing US$6 billion by year-end on air traffic control telecom infrastructure and radar surveillance systems that will be deployed by the end of 2028.
Congress approved US$12.5 billion to reform the aging U.S. air traffic control system, and the administration wants another US$19 billion or more to complete the effort. The FAA's air traffic telecom system has been hit by a series of failures, including serious outages covering Newark traffic.
FAA Administrator Bedford also defended the agency's decision to require flight cuts during a prolonged government shutdown and told a U.S. House aviation subcommittee hearing he would ensure the safety of air traffic in Washington despite legislation that could allow more military helicopter flights.
Also Read: Engine failure forces United Airlines flight to return to DC-area airport
Bedford said the FAA is compressing radar and telecom modernization into a three-year timeline, down from 15 years, and has already transitioned more than one-third of its copper infrastructure to fiber.
Last month, the FAA said it has picked Peraton, a national security company owned by Veritas Capital, as project manager to overhaul the aging U.S. air traffic control system. Congress approved funding after decades of complaints over airport congestion, technology failures, and flight delays.
Bedford said at the hearing that President Donald Trump had demanded Peraton accept $200 million less than initially planned to oversee the contract. Peraton did not immediately comment.
A 2023 report said the FAA's communications system has been outdated for years, and it can no longer get spare parts for many systems. Of the FAA's 138 air traffic control telecom systems, 51 were unsustainable, a separate report said last year.
The FAA said Peraton will begin work on initial priorities such as setting up a new digital command center and transitioning to modern fiber from copper infrastructure.
The FAA's $15-billion "Next Gen" project to overhaul air traffic control, begun more than two decades ago, has faced numerous delays and cost overruns and is less ambitious than initially envisioned, a report showed in Oct. 2025.
Related
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
E Paper
Video
Comments
Start the conversation
Become a member of New India Abroad to start commenting.
Sign Up Now
Already have an account? Login