Sometimes watching an old movie can feel like opening a time capsule. Nostalgia for some, younger audiences laugh at the use of brick-sized cellphones, cassette tapes, and floppy disks — technologies that were once cutting-edge. While most of the technology Americans rely on today is circa 2020s, one critical system remains behind the times. If you were to watch the air traffic control operations in the 1990 film Die Hard 2 or even the 1970 classic Airport, you might be surprised to learn how little has actually changed.
In air traffic control towers across the country, controllers still rely on outdated tools, such as floppy disks, corroded copper wiring, and physical paper strips, to manage thousands of flights and millions of passengers each day. Meanwhile, just the use of this outdated system has cost taxpayers more than $100 million a month in obsolescence fees. This is a growing risk to our aviation industry’s safety and reliability.
We need a modernized aviation network that can keep pace with today’s demands. That’s exactly what the funding in my bill — the Fiscal Year 2026 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act — will do now that it has been signed into law by President Donald Trump.
Building on the $12.5 billion Republicans delivered for the Federal Aviation Administration through budget reconciliation last summer, my bill boosts FAA funding by an additional $2 billion above fiscal 2025 levels.
This large cash infusion is a necessity — not a “nice-to-have” — to continue to modernize our aviation system. These funds support pilot‑controller digital communications, the transition of air traffic control data streams to fiber-optic systems, and improved technologies that more accurately deconflict aircraft both in the air and on the tarmac at more airports. And, as we modernize and update our air traffic control system, we are implementing the lessons learned from the last time we tried to transform our aviation apparatus.
Over two decades ago, the FAA launched its Next Generation Air Transportation System modernization program. While the initiative delivered some improvements to the National Airspace System, a recent U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General review found that the FAA has realized less than a quarter of NextGen’s projected benefits.
There are many reasons for these shortfalls, but much of it stems from overly ambitious goals paired with unrealistic implementation timelines and insufficient budgeting. After years of poor policy decisions and financial mismanagement, the system is now showing clear signs of atrophy.
A piecemeal approach is no longer sufficient to correct these problems. Long-standing deficiencies have compounded over time, and incremental fixes have failed to move the needle. Providing the FAA with upfront, reliable appropriations will give the agency the stability it needs to implement meaningful updates.
What further hinders the FAA — and federal agencies more broadly — is Congress’s inability to pass full-year appropriations bills consistently. Prior to my bill’s enactment, the Department of Transportation and the FAA were forced to operate under a continuing resolution, which extends outdated priorities and funding levels. This is ultimately a disservice to the American people.
My FY 2026 THUD Appropriations bill right-sizes funding to support the programs that benefit Americans most and ensures taxpayer dollars are used as efficiently as possible.
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With my bill, the FAA can continue building and deploying new radar systems, constructing new towers, installing fiber-optics to prevent system failures, and integrating advanced technology interfaces that will ensure your travel is uninterrupted and safe. It also enables the FAA to hire 2,500 new air traffic controllers to address the national controller shortage and replace a retiring workforce — a challenge that has forced airlines to reduce flights for consumers.
When it comes to our national airspace system, we can’t afford to rely on technology that was revolutionary 40 or more years ago. By codifying updated appropriations, we are bringing our national airspace into the 21st century and empowering the FAA to create a modern air traffic control system — ensuring safer, more reliable, and more efficient skies and air travel.
Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR) is chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies.