FAA Chief: ATC Modernization Phase One Will Cost $16 Billion, Exceeding Congressional Appropriation
Why It MattersCost overruns and the absence of a lifecycle schedule for ATC modernization raise the risk of prolonged infrastructure gaps affecting airspace capacity and safety-system upgrades industry-wide.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford told a House Appropriations subcommittee on Tuesday that the first phase of the agency's air traffic control modernization program is expected to cost $16 billion, exceeding the $12.5 billion Congress approved last year, which comprised $9 billion for system modernization and $3.5 billion for facilities construction. Bedford said the FAA is covering the gap through its facilities and equipment budget and is seeking at least another $10 billion from Congress for phase two.
The initiative, called the Brand New Air Traffic Control System, aims to replace aging communications, radar, weather and other ATC equipment on an accelerated schedule. Bedford's prepared testimony noted that as of September 1, the FAA had replaced more than 64% of its copper-based telecommunications network, converted more than 400 radio sites, and installed 101 airport surface-awareness systems.
The testimony followed a Government Accountability Office report released Monday, which found the FAA has not developed a comprehensive lifecycle cost estimate or an integrated master schedule for the program. The GAO noted phase one consists of 13 programs and 11,389 individual project schedules; the FAA had previously estimated the system implementation portion of phase one at $10.6 billion and plans to complete it by December 2028. Phase two, expected to focus on new automation systems for aircraft tracking and traffic flow management, has been estimated by the GAO at approximately $10.2 billion excluding facilities costs, though the FAA has not set a start or completion date for it.
