Modernization
A4A’s Chris Sununu Applauds DOT’s Dedication and Quick Action to Modernize the National Airspace System
April 22, 2026
Modern Skies Summit Highlights Progress Made Toward a Brand New Air Traffic Control System
WASHINGTON, April 21, 2026 – Today, at the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Modern Skies Summit, Airlines for America (A4A) President and CEO Chris Sununu applauded Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Federal Aviation Administrator Bryan Bedford for acting with urgency to build a Brand New Air Traffic Control System (BNATCS).
“We have all seen the crumbling state of air traffic control infrastructure. And after 30 years of asking the men and women up in those towers to keep it together and keep it safe with little more than string and duct tape, I am so grateful we have an Administration who is rapidly saying enough is enough,” said Sununu.
He thanked President Trump and the entire Administration for cutting red tape, saying no to bureaucratic dysfunction and working with industry partners to deliver tangible results that will improve travel.
“I am genuinely impressed with the progress made by this Administration. Fiber, radios, radar, displays, training simulators, flight management innovations, nothing is being left on the table. They have accomplished all this while we have all been dealing with multiple government shutdowns, a jet fuel crunch and ATC staffing shortages,” added Sununu. “They are able to overcome obstacles because they are not doing it the old way with a bunch of bureaucrats behind closed doors, but instead they are working as a team, partnering with every aspect of the national airspace and the private sector including the 50+ groups represented by the Modern Skies Coalition.”
The Modern Skies Coalition is comprised of more than 50 groups across the aviation and aerospace sector which are united in supporting the BNATCS effort.
Sununu concluded with a direct message to Congress: “So to the men and women up on Capitol Hill, to those who get incredibly frustrated with government waste and empty promises, please hear me when I say, THIS IS WORKING. This is an investment with an ROI that pays long-term dividends in the form of a safer, more efficient, more customer-friendly airspace than ever imagined.”