FAA ATC Upgrades: 6 Bold Overhauls to Boost Air Safety

On June 20, 2025, the Federal Aviation Administration rolled out a sweeping $12.5 billion plan to modernize air traffic control across the United States. Spurred by high-profile outages—like May’s Newark disruption—the FAA will build six new regional centers, erect 15 state-of-the-art control towers, and deploy over 30,000 upgraded services in the next three years.

Key industry players—Leidos, Palantir, Verizon, L3Harris, Parsons, and RTX—are set to supply the hardware and software needed to replace decades-old systems (some still running on floppy disks). While Congress has approved the $12.5 billion budget, experts warn a full overhaul could cost up to $31 billion. This push underscores a national commitment to preventing dangerous outages and enhancing the safety and reliability of U.S. skies.