US flight chaos.
The Trump administration has raised its demand for air traffic control funding to $50 billion after a communications failure triggered a nationwide ground stop in the United States on Friday, disrupting thousands of flights for several hours. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the incident exposed the urgent need to replace the country's ageing air traffic control infrastructure, calling on Congress to approve billions of dollars for a complete overhaul of the system.
"This is an emergency. What's more important than having an air traffic control system that actually works?" Duffy said on Friday. The administration had initially sought $30.1 billion for upgrading the country's airports and air traffic control network. However, following the disruption, Duffy said he wanted $50 billion to complete the modernisation effort.
"What we have is an incredibly old air traffic control system," he said, adding that the government needed new hardware, software and telecommunications infrastructure rather than temporary fixes.
What caused the nationwide flight disruption? The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered a nationwide ground stop at around 4 pm EST on Friday after a communications problem affected its en route centres, which manage aircraft movement between airports. Duffy said an overload of data on routers and switches led to inconsistencies in information being transmitted through the system, forcing officials to halt operations.
The ground stop remained in place for nearly four hours before the FAA lifted it at around 8:15 pm. However, Duffy warned that it would take time for flight operations to return to normal. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said officials had found no evidence of a cyberattack behind the disruption, although investigations were continuing. He also said the public was never in danger during the incident.
Why is the US seeking billions for air traffic control? The FAA continues to rely on ageing technology, including decades-old computers and replacement parts purchased through online auction websites. Last week, the agency said it planned to phase out floppy disks used to transmit weather and other critical information at more than 400 air traffic control facilities by the end of 2028.
The administration's initial $30.1 billion funding request included $10.1 billion for air traffic control modernisation, including $7.2 billion for a common automation platform and controller workstations, and $2 billion for cloud computing. It also sought $2 billion to replace and upgrade FAA control towers and $18 billion for airport-related projects, including $10 billion to modernise or replace ageing terminals.
The administration has said the investment would help build a more reliable telecommunications network, upgrade equipment and improve airport infrastructure. Congress had already approved $12.5 billion over five years in July 2025 to modernise air traffic control systems and increase the recruitment of controllers.
The latest disruption comes amid a series of incidents involving the country's aviation infrastructure. In September, a circuit failure at a Philadelphia air traffic facility and an accidentally severed fibre-optic cable in New Jersey caused thousands of flight delays and cancellations across the northeastern US. The country has also faced concerns over aviation safety following a midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in January 2025 that killed 67 people.
The administration is urging the Republican-led Congress to approve the additional funding before the end of the year. Democrats are scheduled to take control of Congress in January.
