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DOT lays out multiyear effort to overhaul air traffic control, emphasizes staffing push
Summary
At a House Transportation and Infrastructure hearing, Secretary Duffy described a 3–4 year plan to modernize the FAA's air traffic control systems, highlighted a $12.5 billion initial appropriation and said the department is accelerating controller hiring and retention as part of the effort.
WASHINGTON
The Department of Transportation on Thursday outlined a multiyear program to modernize the nation's air traffic control infrastructure and said it is taking immediate steps to expand and retain the air traffic controller workforce.
At a hearing of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Secretary Duffy said Congress's $12.5 billion appropriation for air traffic control modernization provides an immediate down payment to replace telecommunications infrastructure, upgrade radar, strengthen runway safety systems and begin replacing outdated facilities.
'I took office nearly six months ago, and in my first full day on the job, we experienced a sobering reminder of why the department's top priority is and always must be safety,' Duffy said, pointing to a recent midair collision and to system interruptions that exposed weaknesses in telecom and radar capacity.
Why it matters: Members of both parties told Duffy the FAA needs both new equipment and more people. Committee members and the secretary said the work will require follow-on funding beyond the initial appropriation, changes to procurement…
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