US lawmakers have introduced companion House and Senate bills seeking an additional $30 billion for air traffic control modernisation and wider aviation infrastructure upgrades. The Modern Skies Act, sponsored by Senator Eric Schmitt and Representative Tracey Mann, would fund digital ATC systems, towers and airport facilities, including a pilot programme to rebuild terminals at up to three medium-hub airports across the country.
The proposal builds on the $12.5 billion approved in 2025 for the first phase of modernisation. Its largest allocations include $10.1 billion for ATC technology, covering automation platforms, controller workstations, cloud and telecommunications infrastructure, facility consolidation and traffic-flow management. A further $10 billion would support airport, tower and terminal improvements, including $2 billion for ATC facilities, $3 billion for Airport Improvement Program projects and $5 billion for terminal modernisation.
The remaining $10 billion would establish an Aging Terminal Pilot Program for up to three medium-hub airports. The legislation would also give the FAA greater flexibility to transfer previously appropriated modernisation funds as implementation progresses, subject to congressional oversight.
The House bill was presented at Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport in Kansas City, Missouri, on 9 October, following Schmitt’s Senate introduction in late September. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the FAA support the additional funding, which would extend upgrades to more than 4,600 FAA sites. The first phase includes radios, radar, voice switches, telecommunications equipment, electronic flight strips and surface-awareness systems.
The National Business Aviation Association endorsed the House measure, citing the need to sustain modernisation for a system handling about 45,000 flights and 2.9 million passengers daily. The bills remained subject to committee review and floor action, with no specific airports guaranteed funding and no final implementation timetable established.