Industry Insights

One Year Later: Celebrating the OBBB’s Impact on Aviation

July 01, 2026

It’s been nearly one year since Congress passed and President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill into law, providing a historic $12.5 billion down payment to modernize the U.S. air traffic control system. This was an unprecedented investment for the National Airspace System (NAS), dedicating funding that’s critical to replace outdated technology like floppy disks, copper wires, paper strips and WWII-era radar systems.

Soon after the Fourth of July bill signing on the South Lawn of the White House,  President Trump, Secretary Duffy and Administrator Bedford quickly got to work overhauling our nation’s air traffic control (ATC) system, improving both safety and efficiency for everyone who relies on our nation’s airspace, including the traveling and shipping public. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA):

• More than half of the telecommunications has been replaced.
• Nearly 40% of surface awareness initiatives have been installed.
• More than 300 radio sites have been converted.

While this progress is significant, the work isn’t done yet.

America deserves a state-of-the-art system with robust staffing to meet air travel demands and continue to facilitate national and international commerce. That’s why U.S. airlines are urging Congress to approve additional funding to complete this once-in-a-lifetime modernization effort. The United States has the safest airspace in the world but maintaining that standard requires continued investment in the infrastructure that keep millions of travelers and thousands of tons of cargo moving safely and efficiently every day.

Aviation was born in the United States. As our nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, we have an incredible opportunity to ensure America has the best airspace system in the world. We deeply appreciate the Administration’s leadership and Congress’ dedication to keep our skies safe and to fully transform our skies.