Tower staff member at LAX urges surface‑awareness and telecom upgrades, cites $12.5 billion federal appropriation

A tower staff member at Los Angeles International Airport said the control tower has received some recent equipment upgrades but still lacks critical surface‑situation and telecom systems needed for safe operations in low visibility. The staff member said, “They have brand new radios that came in this week,” and noted electronic flight strips were installed about a year ago.

The staff member emphasized the remaining gap: a surface‑awareness system to provide controllers data on their screens during fog and other low‑visibility conditions. “They need a surface awareness system,” the staff member said, adding that fog can block outside sight lines and heighten reliance on screen data. The speaker also singled out telecom upgrades as necessary to support modern tower operations.

The speaker linked the planned equipment investments to recent federal funding, saying the work “is going to come from one big…$12.5 billion bill” that President Trump helped secure and that Congress passed. The staff member described the upgrades as part of broader efforts “to make sure we have the best systems in place as you fly on airplanes through our national airspace.”

The account in the transcript is a single speaker’s description of recent deliveries and outstanding needs; the recording does not identify a decision, schedule, specific procurement, or the name of the federal bill beyond the dollar figure. No formal action or vote is recorded in the transcript.