The FAA’s Chief Operating Officer of the Air Traffic Organization, Frank McIntosh, joined leaders from the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026 to update the aviation community on the modernization of the nation’s air traffic control system — and to make a unified call for an additional $20 billion to finish the job. New technologies are already reaching airports across the country: electronic flight strips replacing paper, new radars replacing 1970s-era equipment, surface safety tools reducing runway incursion risk, and fiber replacing decades-old copper wiring. The message from the podium was that meaningful progress is underway, but partial funding leaves controllers and pilots working with, as ALPA President Jason Ambrosi put it, “one foot in the old system and one in the new.”
For pilots and controllers who depend on the system every day, the AirVenture appearance signaled both real momentum and an unfinished mission. Here’s what’s changing, what the officials said, and what it means for the airports and airspace you fly.
What’s Actually Changing at Airports Near You
The modernization effort is not a distant plan — it’s already being installed. Following the $12.5 billion “down payment” that Congress appropriated in 2025 as part of the broader ATC overhaul, the FAA has been deploying new technology across the national airspace system at a rapid pace.
As of spring 2026, the FAA reported the following early milestones:
Electronic flight strips. At least 17 ATC towers have moved from paper flight strips to electronic tracking through the Terminal Flight Data Manager (TFDM) system. Paper strips — the small printed slips controllers physically pass to track each aircraft — are one of the most visible symbols of the system’s age. Electronic flight strips reduce errors, improve coordination between controllers, and integrate with other modern tools.
New radars. Many of the system’s radars date to the 1970s, and parts are increasingly hard to source. Over 4,500 FAA sites are receiving new radars, digital voice switches, and training simulators as part of the overhaul.
Fiber replacing copper. Nearly 50% of the copper wiring connecting the ATC system has been replaced with high-speed fiber, with wireless and satellite links also being deployed. As FAA officials have described it, this creates a safer, faster, and more reliable network.
Modern communications. Approximately 270 radio sites have been converted to modern equipment, replacing decades-old radios and voice switches. Communications reliability — static, dropouts, aging voice switches — has been a persistent pain point that directly affects pilot-controller communication.
Surface safety tools. New surface awareness systems have been installed at dozens of airports (54 reported at one milestone), giving controllers better visibility of aircraft and vehicles on runways and taxiways. These tools directly target the runway incursion risk that has drawn intense scrutiny following several high-profile near-collisions.
The common thread: these are the technologies that determine whether pilot-controller communication is clear, whether controllers can see traffic accurately, and whether the surface environment is safe. They’re coming to airports of every size.
Who Is Frank McIntosh?
Frank McIntosh brings a 25-year FAA career and a controller’s perspective to the modernization message. He began his federal career as an Air Traffic Control Specialist in 2000 — meaning he worked the scopes before he led the organization.
He entered the management ranks in 2013 and served in progressively senior roles including Operations Manager, Air Traffic Manager, and General Manager. He later served as Vice President of Safety and Technical Training, then as Deputy Chief Operating Officer overseeing the ATO’s operational service units, before assuming the role of Chief Operating Officer of the Air Traffic Organization on January 26, 2026 (having acted in the role since May 2025).
As COO, McIntosh provides executive leadership and direction to the seven service units within the ATO — the organization responsible for managing all air traffic in U.S. airspace. His background as a former controller gives particular weight to his advocacy for the frontline tools and facilities the modernization effort is meant to deliver.
The Call for $20 Billion More
The central news from the AirVenture appearance was the unified call — from the FAA’s operational leadership, the pilots’ union, and the controllers’ union together — for Congress to appropriate an additional $20 billion to complete the modernization.
ALPA President Jason Ambrosi made the case directly at the press conference: “DOT and FAA leadership have been clear that finishing this job, replacing hundreds of aging ATC facilities, deploying modern surveillance automation for controllers, and building the traffic management tools our system needs will take an additional $20 billion.”
He framed the risk of stopping short in operational terms: “Partial funding isn’t a shortcut. It leaves controllers, our crews on the ground, working with one foot in the old system and one in the new. And that’s a dangerous place to leave the people we depend on most.”
The $20 billion figure represents what officials say is needed on top of the initial $12.5 billion Congress provided in 2025 — money that was specifically directed by Congress toward four areas: wiring, communications, radars, and electronic flight strips. The additional funding would extend the effort to replacing hundreds of aging ATC facilities and deploying the surveillance automation and traffic management tools the system needs to reach the FAA’s goal of a fundamentally new air traffic control system by the end of 2028.
Why Pilots and Controllers Are United on This
The joint appearance reflects a genuine alignment between two groups that operate at opposite ends of the same radio frequency. ALPA and NATCA have been working together through the Modern Skies Coalition to push for modernization, arguing that pilots and controllers share a deep commitment to safety and see the consequences of an aging system every day.
The case for urgency has been building through a series of events:
The Newark outages. System outages at Newark Liberty International Airport in 2025 — where controllers temporarily lost radar and radio contact with aircraft — became the most visible warning of what aging infrastructure can produce. The FAA has since worked to stabilize Newark, but the episode underscored the stakes.
Runway incursion concerns. A series of high-profile near-collisions on runways at major airports intensified scrutiny of surface safety, driving investment in the surface awareness tools now being deployed.
Controller staffing. The modernization push runs in parallel with an aggressive controller hiring effort. The FAA’s 2026 Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan targets 2,200 new hires in 2026, part of a multi-year push toward the roughly 12,500 certified professional controllers the system needs at full staffing.
Rising complexity. It’s not just that there are more flights — the airspace itself is more crowded and more complex, with commercial, military, helicopter, drone, and emerging advanced air mobility operations all sharing the system.
For pilots, better communications reliability, more accurate surveillance, and improved surface tools translate directly into safer, more efficient operations. For controllers, modern equipment means fewer workarounds, less reliance on failing legacy systems, and better tools to do a demanding job. The shared interest is why the two unions and FAA leadership stood on the same stage.
The 2028 Deadline and Its Questions
The FAA’s stated goal is to replace decades-old communications, radar, and tracking infrastructure by the end of 2028 — an ambitious timeline for a system of this scale and complexity. The company Peraton was awarded a contract to lead upgrades across the four congressionally-directed focus areas.
Industry observers have flagged several open questions about whether the 2028 target is achievable, including how the FAA will incorporate ADS-B In technology into its plan, how the agency will secure the future funding beyond the initial $12.5 billion, and whether the workforce and contracting capacity exist to hit the deadline.
The AirVenture call for $20 billion is, in effect, the funding piece of that puzzle. Without it, officials warn, the system risks being left in the “one foot in each system” state that Ambrosi described — arguably more complicated to operate than either the fully old or fully new system alone.
What This Means for General Aviation
While much of the modernization conversation centers on major airline hubs, the changes reach general aviation directly:
Better communications everywhere. Fiber, modern radios, and digital voice switches improve pilot-controller communication reliability across the system — including at the towered GA fields and regional airports where many pilots operate.
Surface safety at more airports. Surface awareness tools reduce runway incursion risk at a growing number of airports, benefiting GA pilots who share those surfaces with airline and business aviation traffic.
Electronic flight strips at more towers. As TFDM electronic flight strips expand beyond the initial towers, coordination improves at the fields where GA operates alongside other traffic.
A more resilient system. For GA pilots who depend on flight following, weather services, and ATC coordination, a modernized system that fails less often is a direct safety benefit.
The modernization effort is fundamentally about the shared infrastructure that every airspace user relies on — from a student pilot in a Cessna 172 to a widebody on a transcontinental leg.
The Bottom Line
The appearance of FAA COO Frank McIntosh alongside ALPA and NATCA leadership at AirVenture 2026 delivered a two-part message: real modernization progress is happening — electronic flight strips, new radars, surface safety tools, and fiber are being deployed at airports across the country — but completing the overhaul requires an additional $20 billion beyond the initial $12.5 billion Congress provided.
The unusual sight of the FAA’s operational leadership, the pilots’ union, and the controllers’ union speaking with one voice reflects how broadly the aviation community agrees on the need. For pilots and controllers working the system every day, the modernization can’t come fast enough — and the warning against leaving the job half-finished was the clearest theme of the AirVenture appearance.
As the technologies roll out to airports near you, the improvements to pilot-controller communication, surveillance accuracy, and surface safety are tangible. Whether the effort reaches its full 2028 vision now rests substantially with Congress and the funding decisions ahead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Frank McIntosh? Franklin J. McIntosh is the Chief Operating Officer of the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization (ATO), a role he assumed on January 26, 2026, after acting in the position since May 2025. He has a 25-year FAA career that began in 2000 as an Air Traffic Control Specialist. He has held roles including Operations Manager, Air Traffic Manager, General Manager, Vice President of Safety and Technical Training, and Deputy Chief Operating Officer. As COO, he leads the seven service units of the ATO responsible for managing U.S. air traffic.
What is the air traffic control modernization effort? The ATC modernization effort is a national initiative announced in 2025 to replace decades-old air traffic control communications, radar, and tracking infrastructure by the end of 2028. Congress provided an initial $12.5 billion directed at four areas: wiring, communications, radars, and electronic flight strips. Early milestones include replacing nearly 50% of copper wiring with fiber, converting about 270 radio sites, installing surface awareness systems at 54 airports, and moving 17 ATC towers to electronic flight strips.
What are electronic flight strips? Electronic flight strips are a digital replacement for the paper flight strips air traffic controllers have long used to track each aircraft under their control. Delivered through the FAA’s Terminal Flight Data Manager (TFDM) system, they reduce the errors associated with handling paper, improve coordination between controllers, and integrate with other modern ATC tools. As of spring 2026, at least 17 ATC towers had transitioned to electronic flight strips.
Why are the FAA, ALPA, and NATCA calling for $20 billion more? At EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026, FAA COO Frank McIntosh joined ALPA and NATCA leaders to call for an additional $20 billion beyond the initial $12.5 billion Congress provided. Officials say the additional funding is needed to replace hundreds of aging ATC facilities, deploy modern surveillance automation for controllers, and build the traffic management tools the system needs. ALPA President Jason Ambrosi warned that partial funding leaves controllers and pilots working with “one foot in the old system and one in the new.”
How does ATC modernization affect general aviation pilots? General aviation benefits directly from modernization through more reliable pilot-controller communications (from new fiber, radios, and digital voice switches), reduced runway incursion risk (from surface awareness tools deployed at more airports), improved coordination (as electronic flight strips expand to more towers), and a more resilient overall system that fails less often. These improvements reach the towered GA fields and regional airports where many general aviation pilots operate, not just major airline hubs.
Sources:
- FAA — Franklin J. McIntosh, Chief Operating Officer, Air Traffic Organization
- ALPA — Modernize Air Traffic Control
- CNN — $12.5 Billion ‘Down Payment’ Brings Air Traffic Control Out of the 1990s (April 21, 2026)
- Eno Center for Transportation — Progress on New ATC System Shown at Modern Skies Summit (April 24, 2026)
- Airlines for America — ATC Modernization
