Transportation Secretary Duffy Visits Norfolk International Airport, Highlights $27.3M Investment for Air Traffic Control

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy visited Norfolk International Airport alongside Congresswoman Jen Kiggans to highlight a $27.3 million federal investment for the airport's air traffic control infrastructure and to discuss ongoing staffing needs. During the visit, the two met with airport leadership to review infrastructure priorities and the airport's role in the Hampton Roads regional economy, then toured Norfolk's Air Traffic Control Tower, where FAA personnel briefed them on operations, safety, staffing, and other priorities affecting the airport and surrounding airspace.

The $27.3 million allocation was made possible through the Working Families Tax Cut legislation. Duffy credited Kiggans' vote for the bill, noting it delivered a $12.5 billion down payment to revitalize air traffic control nationwide. Norfolk's ATCT has been on the FAA's critical facility list continuously since January 2023 and has faced significant controller shortages; in 2024, controllers there logged approximately 8,724 hours of overtime to address staffing gaps. Kiggans previously toured the tower in 2025 to meet with controllers about those issues.

In January 2026, Kiggans voted for a funding package that increased FAA funding by $1.588 billion, secured $4.577 billion for airport infrastructure improvements, and provided resources to hire 2,500 new air traffic controllers. Following the March 2025 crash near Reagan National Airport, Kiggans and Rep. Tom Barrett introduced the Military Helicopter Training Safety Act of 2025, directing the Department of Defense to evaluate equipping military helicopters with modern collision avoidance systems. Provisions of that bill were incorporated into the ALERT Act of 2026, which passed the House in February 2026.