AdvertisementAdvertisementPolice and coast guard boats are seen around a wreckage site in the Potomac River as an American Airlines plane passes in the foreground at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, on Feb 1, 2025. (Photo: AP/Jose Luis Magana)17 Jul 2025 03:55AM Bookmark Bookmark WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedInRead a summary of this article on FAST.Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST WASHINGTON: The Trump administration has asked Congress to approve an additional US$19 billion to fully modernise the United States' ageing air traffic control system, bringing the total cost of the overhaul to US$31.5 billion.US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy made the request on Wednesday (July 16) at a House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing, where he said the administration had the support of airlines and other aviation stakeholders."We are going to need more money from the Congress," Duffy said. "We’re talking US$31.5 billion to do the full project."NEAR-MISSES AND DEADLY CRASH SPUR PUSHConcerns over the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) outdated systems have been rising amid a series of high-profile incidents, including near-collisions and a January crash involving a US Army helicopter and a regional American Airlines jet that killed 67 people.The US$12.5 billion already approved earlier this month includes US$2 billion for the first new en-route air traffic centre since the 1960s. The administration plans to name a private company to help manage the modernisation, with firms such as Raytheon and IBM under consideration, according to President Donald Trump.Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy testifies during a House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Oversight hearing on the Department of Transportation's Policies and Programs and Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, July 16, 2025, in Washington. (Photo: AP/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)TECHNOLOGY AND STAFFING UPGRADES PLANNEDThe Department of Transportation aims to replace 618 radar systems, install anti-collision tarmac technology at 200 airports, upgrade telecommunications networks and rebuild towers and other facilities.The plan also includes new hiring and retention incentives to address staffing shortfalls. The FAA is currently 3,500 air traffic controllers below its target.A recent report by the National Academies of Sciences found that overtime hours logged by FAA air traffic staff had surged, with 2.2 million hours recorded in 2024 alone. The agency spent US$200 million on overtime pay that year, up more than 300 percent since 2013.Duffy said a key priority is securing funding for equipment to prevent runway incursions and to stabilise the workforce managing US skies.Source: Reuters/fsSign up for our newslettersGet our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inboxSubscribe hereGet the CNA appStay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best storiesDownload hereGet WhatsApp alertsJoin our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat appJoin hereAlso worth readingContent is loading...Expand to read the full storyGet bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST