A recent GAO report revealed that over one-third of the USA's air traffic control systems are categorized as "unsustainable." The FAA has long struggled with upgrading these systems, many of which are decades old. GAO identified that of the 138 ATC operations assessed, 51 were unsustainable, and 54 potentially so. The agency's NextGen project, initiated in 2007 to modernize these systems by 2030, is behind schedule, with concerns over a lack of timely investments for critical systems, exposing air traffic safety to significant risks.
"The FAA's reliance on a large percentage of aging and unsustainable or potentially unsustainable collection of ATC systems introduces risks to the FAA's ability to ensure the safe, orderly, and expeditious flow of air traffic," said Heather Krause, the GAO's managing director of physical infrastructure, in testimony to US House reps.
"We determined that as of May 2024, 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 six years, and in some cases were not to be completed for at least 10 years," she testified.
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