The Federal Aviation Administration is pressing ahead with its air traffic control overhaul, but a Government Accountability Office review has faulted the programme for lacking a detailed integrated master schedule while the first phase is already projected to cost about $16 billion. The shortfall leaves the agency seeking additional money from Congress as it works to replace ageing communications infrastructure and launch the next stage of modernisation in Washington.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford told a House appropriations subcommittee that phase one is far above the $12.5 billion already approved by Congress and that another $10 billion is still needed for phase two. He said outdated copper telecom wiring should be fully replaced by September 2027. The GAO found the FAA is relying on more than 11,000 separate project schedules that are not integrated, leaving oversight gaps in a programme meant to modernise traffic management and reduce operational disruption.
The first phase focuses on infrastructure, including telecom lines and facility upgrades, while the second is expected to fund automation systems and other advanced tools. The GAO warned that the lack of a reliable lifecycle cost estimate and integrated schedule raises the risk of overruns and delays. Congress and House appropriators are now weighing how to fund a reform effort that remains in motion but is still being managed through high-level estimates rather than a single coordinated plan.