NATCA Bookshelf

N A T C A I N W A S H I N G T O N 2 0 2 5 N i W To d a y 38 38 38 38 ISSUES about this issue numerous times over the past decade in both chambers on Capitol Hill. The FAA operates more than 300 air traffic control facilities of varying ages and conditions. The FAA's 21 Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCCs) located in the continental United States were built in the 1960s and are more than 60 years old. The FAA's Terminal Radar Approach Control facilities (TRACONs) are on average more than 25 years old. In addition, the FAA has 132 combined TRACON towers, which, on average, are approximately 35 years old. Finally, the FAA has another 131 stand- alone Towers which average more than 30 years old. Many FAA facilities have exceeded their expected lifecycles. Others have major systems that have exceeded their expected functional lifecycle such as roofs, windows, HVAC systems, plumbing, and elevators, which no longer perform their necessary functions. Some of these issues have led to periodic airspace shutdowns and many others have led to safety concerns for the workforce. When these major systems fail, or facilities have integrity problems, it can lead to increasing delays, which negatively affect the flying public and our economy. In addition, some of the critical safety equipment and technology that controllers use every day is decades old and at risk of malfunctioning. For years, the FAA has moved to a "fix-on-fail" maintenance philosophy and has stopped stockpiling critical parts for essential operational equipment, creating a backlog of maintenance projects at facilities around the country. Although the FAA has begun addressing its aging infrastructure through a combination of realignments, sustaining and maintaining some facilities, and replacing a handful of others, that process has been slow and hampered by funding constraints. Increased Funding Critical for Modernization and Infrastructure Efforts Issue

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