Modern Skies Coalition Supports Secretary Duffy’s Air Traffic Control Modernization Plan

This week, members of the Modern Skies Coalition, NATA and more than 50 other national aviation stakeholders released the statement below supporting Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy’s Air Traffic Control modernization plan:

“We strongly support Secretary Duffy’s plan to rebuild our nation’s air traffic control system. Recent issues—especially those at DCA and EWR—remind us of the urgent need for a sharp focus on the safety and efficiency of the National Airspace System (NAS) and the dire necessity to address antiquated technology and the staffing shortage.

We are pleased that the Secretary has identified the priorities of what must be done to maintain safety and remain a leader in air navigation services. We applaud the administration’s budget request of $4 billion for FAA’s technology and facilities account (F&E), which is higher than ever before.

However, based on decades of Federal budgets not even keeping up with inflation, the system is in serious need of continued sufficient budget requests as well as an immediate robust infusion of resources.

We applaud Chairman Graves’ critical first step in moving forward on $12.5 billion of funding. As the Modern Skies Coalition and Chairman Graves have indicated, this was a down payment to address these systemic, ongoing problems. Based on our analysis, we believe a minimum of $18.5 billion in additional emergency funding should be appropriated over the next three years above the FAA’s annual F&E budget.

The staffing and technology challenges facing the NAS did not appear overnight and will require strong leadership and oversight to hold FAA accountable to maximize the value and effectiveness of these investment resources and deliver a world class system.

We are deeply appreciative that Secretary Duffy has made our nation’s air traffic control system a priority and look forward to working with the Administration and Congress to bring this vision to fruition.

We must act now with strong purpose and commitment.”

Aeronautical Repair Station Association
Aerospace Industries Association
Air Line Pilots Association, International
Air Medical Operators Association
Air Traffic Control Association
Airbus
Aircraft Electronics Association
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
Airlines for America
Airports Council International – North
America
Allied Pilots Association
American Association of Airport Executives
American Society of Travel Advisors
Association of Air Medical Services
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA
Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems
International
Association of Professional Flight
Attendants
Association of Value Airlines
Aviation Technical Education Council
Cargo Airline Association
Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations
Commercial Space Federation
Corporate Aircraft Association
Experimental Aircraft Association
General Aviation Manufacturers Association
General Electric Aerospace
Global Business Travel Association
International Aircraft Dealers Association
International Air Transport Association
International Association of Machinists and
Aerospace Workers
International Brotherhood of Teamsters
International Council of Air Shows
National Air Carrier Association
National Air Traffic Controllers Association
National Air Transportation Association
National Association of State Aviation
Officials
National Business Aviation Association
NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots
Professional Aviation Safety Specialists,
AFL-CIO
RTCA
Recreational Aviation Foundation
Regional Airline Association
Southwest Airlines Pilots Association
The Boeing Company
Transport Workers Union of America, AFL-
CIO
Transportation Trades Department, AFL-
CIO
Travelers United
United States Parachute Association
United States Tour Operators Association
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
U.S. Contract Tower Association
U.S. Travel Association
Vertical Aviation International
Vertical Flight Society