Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has called upon the U.S. Senate to approve the Big Beautiful Bill, a $12.5 billion initiative aimed at modernizing the nation’s air traffic control system. During a press briefing at the Transportation Department, Duffy described the current infrastructure as outdated, with some systems dating back to the 1970s to 1980s.
The urgency for reform was underscored by recent incidents at Newark International Airport in New Jersey, where outdated radar and telecommunications systems led to outages. Duffy emphasized the need for a complete overhaul, stating that without congressional action, the system remains in a dire condition.
Duffy also highlighted the successful collaboration with Verizon in deploying a new fiber optic line between Philadelphia and New York, which resolved a critical disruption affecting Newark’s airspace. This fiber optic line was necessary after three major disruptions occurred at Newark’s Philly TRACON (terminal radar approach control), causing telecom outages and radar scope reboots.
A software update was deployed to fix the glitch, and Verizon laid the new fiber line to ensure long-term stability and confirmed the fix worked, Duffy said.