(Left to Right) ATCA President and CEO Stephen Creamer, NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen, A4A President and CEO Chris Sununu, FAA Acting Chief Technology Officer Rebecca Guy, NATCA President Nick Daniels, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, Peraton President, National Aerospace Solutions Justin Ciaccio, FAA Deputy Administrator Chris Rocheleau
April 21, 2026
NBAA joined the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Modern Skies Summit in Washington, DC, April 21, and applauded the administration’s significant progress over the past year toward building a brand-new air traffic control system.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy highlighted the work by the DOT and FAA to create “the most technologically advanced air traffic control system,” including replacing almost half of all copper wiring and converting old radios to digital ones to improve reliability across the National Airspace System.
He called the modernization work aviation’s “biggest overhaul since the Jet Age,” requiring updates at more than 4,600 FAA sites across the country, and stressed the importance of controllers, saying the FAA has made 2,400 new hires in the last 12 months.
Duffy hailed the collaborative work by industry leaders through the Modern Skies Coalition to support ATC modernization that the administration hopes to complete in less than three years.
In March 2025, NBAA and nearly 60 other groups banded together as the Modern Skies Coalition to call for a significant investment to create a brand-new ATC system. Four months later, Congress provided $12.5 billion for ATC modernization.
“We thank Secretary Duffy, Administrator [Bryan] Bedford and the entire DOT and FAA team for the tremendous progress made toward the goal of a safer, more efficient and more resilient air traffic control system,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. “While there is more work ahead and more investment needed, the administration and the Congress has set us on a path to ensure the U.S. aviation system continues to lead globally.”
Bolen added, “NBAA and the Modern Skies Coalition will continue to work with the administration and Congress to ensure we capitalize on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform the nation’s aviation infrastructure.”
NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen discussed the latest developments regarding the BNATCS project with FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford.
Duffy said Congress directed DOT to use the $12.5 billion to upgrade the ATC system wiring first before other upgrades. The secretary called on the House and Senate to provide additional funding for AI-powered software and automation that he said would do the most to improve air safety.
The ATC system serves approximately 45,000 flights and 2.9 million passengers every day.
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.