A government watchdog group is calling for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to take “long-overdue” action to modernize the nation’s aging, unreliable air traffic control systems, according to the Center for Transportation Policy (CTP).
The group made its demand in the wake of a report released today by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) which found that 51 of the FAA’s 138 air traffic control information systems are unsustainable, citing outdated functionality, a lack of spare parts, and more.
The GAO report also said that over half of those unsustainable systems are especially concerning, but the FAA has been slow to modernize. Some system modernization projects won't be complete for another 10 to 13 years. But the FAA also doesn't have plans to modernize other systems in need—3 of which are at least 30 years old, the GAO report found.
“News out of the Government Accountability Office highlighting the vulnerabilities of our air traffic control systems is disturbing,” said Jackson Sheldelbower, executive director of the Center for Transportation Policy (CTP). “Pete Buttigieg and the Department of Transportation need to get their priorities straight. We’re urging federal officials to fast-track the repairs and modernization projects necessary to bring air travel into the twenty-first century.”
