The Federal Aviation Administration published an updated progress tracker for its $12.5 billion air traffic control modernization initiative, showing 34% of targeted ATC facilities have completed infrastructure upgrades through May 2026. The tracker, updated quarterly, covers hardware replacements, software platform migrations, and controller workstation upgrades across the national airspace system.
The modernization effort draws on FAA reauthorization funding and supplemental congressional appropriations and targets 522 ATC facilities nationwide. As of the May 2026 update, 178 facilities have completed all scheduled upgrade phases, while 211 are in active construction or equipment installation. The remaining 133 facilities are in pre-construction planning or procurement.
NextGen satellite-based navigation implementation has reached 89% of commercial air carrier routes operated under instrument flight rules, up from 81% at the same point last year. Ground-based radar legacy systems are scheduled for decommissioning at 46 en route centers by the end of 2027, pending contractor delivery milestones.
The FAA acknowledged schedule slippage at 12 facilities where construction delays and supply chain constraints on radar hardware have pushed completion dates into 2027. Controller staffing shortfalls at two high-density facilities in the Northeast have also affected installation timelines.
Source: FAA.gov -- https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/faa-atc-modernization-tracker-may-2026