WASHINGTON, September 22, 2026 — The Modern Skies Coalition supports Secretary Duffy’s continued efforts to modernize our nation’s air traffic control system and strengthen the safety and efficiency of the National Airspace System (NAS). Yesterday’s disruptions to the NAS demonstrate how critical it is to replace the antiquated technology and outdated systems that underpin our nation’s air traffic control infrastructure.
The progress made over the past year has shown what is possible when we invest in modernizing the NAS, but there is more work to do. As Secretary Duffy said at the Aero Club of Washington luncheon, “We are going to ask Congress for $30 billion. $10 billion for software, a Common Automation Platform (CAP) and telecommunications architecture. I want another $10 billion for airports…and another $10 billion for towers.” The Coalition urges Congress to provide additional resources needed to sustain this momentum and ensure the nation’s air traffic control system has the staffing, technology and infrastructure needed to meet future demands.