Duffy laments FAA budget in GOP spending bill, claims $12B would not be enough for ATC improvements

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Wednesday told reporters that the $12.5 billion budget that House Republicans allocated for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in their new spending bill will not be enough to make necessary air traffic control infrastructure upgrades.

Duffy previously claimed he would ask Congress to approve “upfront appropriations” for the much-needed upgrades, which come after a series of issues at the Newark Liberty International Airport stranded travelers over the past month. 

The House of Representatives has since passed a sprawling spending bill, which includes funding for the FAA, but not at the levels needed to fix the underlying issues.

“They put $12.5 billion into the ‘big, beautiful bill’ that’s going to go towards this infrastructure project. That won’t be enough,” Duffy told reporters. “I know the Senate is going to look, can they find money to put into this bill, but we are going to need them to fully fund this project. We need it all up front, that’s a big ask for the Congress to give us the money all up front that is necessary if we’re going to be successful at this project."

Duffy has not disclosed how much he expects to ask Congress for, but plans to install brand-new equipment, including “new Telecom, new radar, new radios." He also expects to update the front and back ends of the air traffic control system.

The secretary also said Congress cannot afford to make them go through a long process to get the necessary permits to lay new fiber, per The Hill.

"I think Democrats and Republicans are going to agree that, yes, with certain guardrails around giving you relief on permitting and giving you the money up front with those guardrails, I think they’re going to buy into that idea,” he said.

Duffy also recently offered a 20% bonus to air traffic controllers to stave off retirement as the industry faces a massive staffing shortage. Air traffic controllers go through robust training that takes years to complete.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.