DRIVING THE NEWS: Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Hosts First ‘Modern Skies Summit’ to Showcase Historic Upgrades to Air Traffic Control System, Preview New Software
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and Federal Aviation Administrator (FAA) Bryan Bedford today hosted a one-of-a-kind summit to highlight the Department’s progress in building a brand-new air traffic control system in under one year. The showcase also previewed what improvements are to come to the system with additional investments from Congress.
“We have committed to being radically transparent with the American people: we are going to tell you where we are, where we’re going, if we’re on time, ahead of schedule, or behind schedule,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy. “This is so Americans can follow the build that is critically important to their safety, but also for the efficiency of the airspace.”
At USDOT’s Modern Skies Summit, elected officials, industry leaders and members of the media heard from experts working around the clock to build a system that is safer, more predictable, and more convenient for American families and businesses.
“In government you don’t normally get to work with people who get it, but here at USDOT it is working… On behalf of airlines across the country–in fact, the entire national airspace–I want to thank this administration, Secretary Duffy, FAA Administrator Bedford. These guys get it! It’s not that things are going to be really exciting in four to five years, it’s that things are going to be really exciting in four to five months,” said Airlines for America CEO & President Chris Sununu.
“The decisions being made right now will shape the way our country moves people, goods and services for the next 50 years. NATCA is proud to be a part of it, because safety is not partisan. The aviation community is unified by the common goal to bring controllers back to a healthy level of staffing…because what [controllers] bring to the table cannot be replicated,” said National Air Traffic Controllers Association President Nick Daniels.
“Thanks to President Trump and Secretary Duffy’s leadership, now we have $12.5 billion from the One Big, Beautiful Bill to get this project done. In fixing this, we’re taking a radically different approach to building this brand-new system than we did in the past,” said FAA Chief Technology Officer Rebecca Guy.
“We are taking decades of work and condensing it into three years. This can only be done with collaboration, expertise, and the most cutting-edge technologies across the board,” said Peraton National Aerospace Solutions President Justin Ciaccio. “Together, we are simplifying the complex, managing risks, and resolving conflicts before they happen–and all at record speed.”
EXPLORE THE MODERN SKIES SUMMIT EXHIBIT
Watch the Modern Skies Summit livestream HERE.
Watch our Air Traffic Control progress report HERE.
Read the ‘Modern Skies Summit’ magazine HERE.
SECRETARY DUFFY’S POSTS ON X
- “There is no project too big for AMERICA! That is why the Trump Administration is MODERNIZING air traffic control like never before.” (Watch)
- “We made unbelievable progress in just one year. We replaced more old copper wires with new fiber than Joe Biden & Pete Buttigieg did in all FOUR YEARS, we converted 270 radio sites to crystal clear sound, and we installed 40 voice switches to make communication seamless. This is just the beginning!” (Watch)
- “Introducing the new airspace software that’s going to change everything!” (Watch)
Additional Information:
This is the largest project to impact our skies since the invention of commercial flight. More than 4,600 FAA sites are being overhauled with new radars, digital voice switches and training simulators. This massive effort requires massive manpower: we estimate this modernization project taking more than 10 million total labor hours.
This overhaul is already underway thanks to President Donald J. Trump and Republicans in Congress and their One Big Beautiful Bill which unleashed a historic $12.5 billion investment into our skies. We have moved at the Speed of Trump to:
- Replace nearly 50% of all copper wires
- Convert about 270 radio sites nationwide
- Install new surface awareness systems at 54 airports
- Transition 17 towers to electronic flight strips
By the end of 2028, airports across the country will have:
- 5,000 new high speed network connections on fiber, satellite, and wireless
- 27,000 new radios
- 450 new digital voice switches
- 612 state-of-the-art radars
- 44 airports with new replacement surface radars
- 200 airports with Surface Awareness Initiative surveillance technology
- 89 airports with new Terminal Flight Data Manager tools
- 435 air traffic control facilities with new Enterprise Information Display Systems
- 113 air traffic control towers with new Tower Simulation Systems
Secretary Duffy has also worked around the clock to supercharge our air traffic control pipeline and recruit the next generation of air traffic controllers. We have:
- Had the fastest application pace in American history for controllers
- Reached our highest staffing levels in six years
- Staffed our towers with approximately 11,000 controllers and more than 4,000 trainees in the pipeline
- Hired a record-breaking nearly 2,400 controllers since March 2025
- Recruited 20% more controllers in 2025 than 2024
- Graduated the largest-ever monthly class from the FAA Academy in August 2025
- Shaved more than five months off the time-to-hire process
- Incentivized the best and brightest with significant bonuses to older controllers to delay retirement AND cash awards to new hires