Meri Talk
Weslan Hansen
19 Feb 2026
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is out of money to execute the second phase of its modernization plan, but Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Thursday morning that he believes Congress will appropriate more funds to keep the effort going.
Speaking at the Air Traffic Control Association’s Aviation Innovation Summit in Arlington, Va., Duffy said that the agency needs more funding to meet its goals of improving national airspace safety and reducing airport delays and cancellations.
Congress gave the FAA a down payment of $12.5 billion under the One Big Beautiful Bill last summer to modernize its air traffic control (ATC) systems. So far, several contracts have been awarded to companies that will serve as the FAA’s prime integrator and oversee radar systems.
On Thursday, the Department of Transportation (DOT) also announced that it is replacing paper strips used by air traffic controllers with electronic flight strips. The strips are used to help manage flight operations.
FAA Modernization Overhaul Has Hit a Funding Wall, Secretary Says – MeriTalk - 19 Feb 2026
