The Federal Air Traffic Control (ATC) system is showing its age.
In January 2023, a database problem forced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to pause thousands of flights and issue a nationwide stoppage. The FAA is currently responsible for the 45,000 plus flights that take place daily in the United States, and that number is expected to increase.
The FAA is facing significant challenges in upgrading and modernizing the system.
NextGen Focused on Modernizing Air Traffic Control Systems
The Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) is a sweeping FAA initiative launched in 2004 to modernize the US National Airspace System (NAS). One of its core components is Trajectory Based Operations (TBO), a transformative approach to managing air traffic.
TBO aims to streamline air travel between airports by giving controllers better knowledge of each aircraft’s flight path. This shift allows for more precise coordination and potentially more efficient routes. While TBO marks a significant evolution in ATC, FAA communications about it often make ambitious but vague claims, leaving questions about its practical impact and implementation.
For example, one FAA message includes the phrases, “revamped air traffic control infrastructure, airport infrastructure improvements, new air traffic technologies and procedures, and safety and security enhancements.”
Another message provided only a bit more detail: “to improve air traffic management and decrease aviation congestion by strategically planning, managing, and optimizing flights from departure gate through arrival gate.”
Billions Already Spent on ATC Upgrades, but More is Needed
The FAA first recognized the need to modernize the ATC system in 1982, releasing a comprehensive plan for the future and beginning substantial financial investment in the effort. It also started investing considerable funds in the effort. Over time, this initiative evolved into what is now known as NextGen. Between 2007 and 2022, the FAA spent more than $14 billion on the program, with projected spending expected to exceed $35 billion by 2030.
Despite this focus and investment, many concerns remain about the ATC system. A 2023 FAA assessment concluded that over one-third of the US ATC systems are unsustainable, with some even on the brink of failure.
Many ATC Facilities Still Use Floppy Disks and Windows 95
One striking example of the system’s age is that many control towers still rely on floppy disks and the Windows 95 operating system. In some facilities, air traffic controllers continue to use paper flight strips, jotting down call signs, aircraft types, and altitudes by hand.
The most common justification for maintaining these outdated tools is that they’ve been “safety certified” and simply can’t be shut down without risking disruptions. Any upgrades must be done cautiously and carefully considering cost, security, and safety implications. It wasn’t until June 2025 that the FAA formally requested information, inviting companies to propose solutions for modernizing the system.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has acknowledged the scope of the challenge, stating that the full upgrade will take at least four years to complete and cost, at a minimum, tens of billions of dollars.
GAO Finds FAA to be Slow in Making Necessary Upgrades
The need to modernize the ATC system has become so urgent that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) conducted a study highlighting the issue. The report found an “urgent” need to modernize ATC systems, that the FAA has been slow to implement improvements, and that full modernization could still be 6 to 10 years away.
While upgrading the ATC system is difficult, there is also broad support for doing so. In May 2025, a coalition of aviation industry unions, trade groups, manufacturers, and other stakeholders launched an alliance called “Modern Skies” to advocate for change. As part of their campaign, they released a TV ad reflecting on outdated 1980s trends–pointing out, with irony, that floppy disks are still in use at some ATC facilities four decades later.
Responding to questions about the 2023 ATC stoppage, the FAA announced that it has developed a contingency system to deal with potential similar problems in the future. However, there appears to be much more to do.
Focus on Common Goal to Improve ATC System
On 8 June 2025, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy spoke about NextGen, stating, “This is the most important infrastructure project that we’ve had in this country for decades. Everyone agrees this is non-partisan. Everyone knows we have to do it.“
I’m with Roger Waters on this one.