The Federal Aviation Administration lacks a reliable lifecycle cost estimate and an integrated master schedule for its Brand New Air Traffic Control System initiative. This planning gap persists despite Congress appropriating $12.5 billion in July 2025 to support the modernization effort.

The FAA’s phase 1 cost estimate does not include government costs, most operations costs, or any phase 2 costs. Officials stated they have plans to address the lack of an integrated master schedule but did not provide a timeframe for resolution.

Phase 1 of the Brand New Air Traffic Control System initiative aims to modernize communication, surveillance, weather, and training systems. This phase is scheduled to be fully completed by December 2028.

For phase 2, the FAA plans to develop new automation systems to track aircraft and optimize traffic. The agency estimates it will need approximately $10.2 billion for this phase, excluding facilities costs.

The FAA has not established an estimated start or completion date for phase 2 of the modernization effort. Individual projects under the initiative are scheduled for installations at the same sites without optimizing schedules to reduce impacts on controller operations.

Timeline

In September 2024, over 75 percent of the FAA’s 138 air traffic control systems were reported as unsustainable or potentially unsustainable. The Secretary of Transportation announced the Brand New Air Traffic Control System modernization effort in May 2025.

Congress appropriated $12.5 billion in July 2025 to support the Brand New Air Traffic Control System initiative. As of May 2026, the FAA had replaced 2,560 of 5,170 old copper wires with fiber optic cables.

In June 2026, FAA officials provided high-level cost estimates per program for phase 1 but could not provide the supporting analysis. Phase 1 of the Brand New Air Traffic Control System initiative is scheduled to be fully completed by December 2028.

What's New

Additional reporting indicates that as of May 2024, the FAA had 17 systems that were especially concerning. Of these 17 systems, the investments for 13 were not planned to be completed for at least 6 years, and in some cases were not to be completed for at least 10 years. Because the FAA did not have ongoing investments associated with the remaining four systems, it is unknown when those systems will be modernized or replaced.

Why It Matters

Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controllers manage communications for up to 45,000 flights per day using legacy systems. The lack of an integrated master schedule and reliable cost estimates affects the planning for modernizing these critical infrastructure components.

The events described span 4 years, from 2024 to 2028, covering the initial assessment of system sustainability through the scheduled completion of phase 1. The rise in identified individual project schedules from 2,560 to 11,389 represents a 344.9% increase in the complexity of scheduling management required for the initiative.