ISSUES
26
NiW Today NATCA in Washington 2026
Issue
Increased Funding Critical for Modernization and Infrastructure Efforts
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Quick Reference
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NATCA.is.proud.of.our.role.as.an.aviation.safety.organization.representing.nearly.
20,000.aviation.safety.professionals.who.stand.shoulder.to.shoulder.with.Congress,.
the.administration,.and.industry.stakeholders.to.ensure.that.the.NAS.remains.the.
safest.and.most.efficient.aviation.system.in.the.world.
In.2025,.Congress.provided.a.historic.$12.5.billion.down.payment.to.the.FAA.to.
develop.a.Brand.New.Air.Traffic.Control.System.(BNATCS)..This.new.system.
will.replace.outdated.equipment.and.technology.such.as.radar,.software,.
hardware,.and.telecommunications.networks..FAA.will.need.an.additional.$20.
billion.in.dedicated.funding.to.complete.the.entire.BNATCS.program.
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Historically,.funding.disruptions.and.a.flat.budget.for.facilities.and.equipment.
(F&E),.which.has.not.kept.up.with.inflation.until.recent.years,.required.the.FAA.to.
implement.a."fix-on-fail".policy.focused.on.spending.the.bare.minimum.to.sustain.
certain.programs,.while.diverting.the.remainder.of.funding.to.whatever.programs.
need.it.the.most.
How This Issue Affects NATCA Members
For more than a decade, NATCA and the FAA achieved collaborative successes on modernization and safety
programs such as En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM), DataComm, Metroplex, and a fast-tracked
runway surface situational awareness tool. Despite these important accomplishments, the FAA continues to
face significant modernization, technology, and infrastructure challenges. Funding disruptions and, until recently,
insufficient resources for the FAA's facilities F&E budget have delayed many programs. The FAA consistently, across
several different administrations, had requested far less funding for F&E than it needed. Moreover, insufficient
staffing of fully certified professional controllers (CPCs) has hampered the FAA's ability to deliver modernization
programs on time and within budget, because only CPCs can provide the subject matter expertise necessary on
this critical work.
