U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) introduced legislation that would direct $30 billion in additional federal spending to the Federal Aviation Administration and U.S. airports, completing a multi-year push to rebuild the country's air traffic control system.

The Modern Skies Act, billed as the third pillar of the Trump administration's aviation modernization plan, would split the new funding across three $10 billion tranches and grant the FAA new procurement flexibility.

What does the bill fund?

• $10 billion for digital architecture. Money would upgrade controller safety-separation tools, replace the telecommunications backbone that carries radar and voice traffic between facilities, and deploy next-generation air traffic flow management and AI software.
• $10 billion for airport infrastructure. Funds would replace aging air traffic control towers, terminal buildings, and runways that the Transportation Department has flagged for replacement.
• $10 billion for a new transitional-airport grant program. Eligibility is limited to airports serving between 5 million and 25 million passengers a year, a category the bill's authors say struggles to access private capital.

A separate provision transfers additional procurement and deployment authority to the FAA, allowing the agency to keep fielding radars, radios, electronic flight strips, surface awareness tools, and other equipment without going back to Congress for each contract.

What officials said

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy framed the bill in infrastructure terms. "This bill will give us the funding we need to modernize the digital architecture powering air traffic control, replace crumbling aviation infrastructure, and build world-class airports across the country," Duffy said.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford tied the request to work already in motion. "The $12.5 billion Congress provided is a critical down payment to replace outdated infrastructure, but we can't stop at simply replacing old technology," Bedford said. "We need to finish rebuilding our nation's air traffic control system with the technology and automation that will improve efficiency and strengthen the safety and resiliency of our airspace. The Modern Skies Act will allow us to complete this work and fully modernize the National Airspace System."

Where the $12.5 billion stands

The new authorization builds on the $12.5 billion Congress appropriated through the Working Families Tax Cut, which the FAA has used to begin replacing equipment across the National Airspace System. That effort includes the recent rollout of SMART — Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories — an AI-driven traffic management tool designed to optimize routing and reduce controller workload.

Nearly 60 organizations have signed on in support, spanning general aviation, commercial operators, airports, and labor. Public endorsers include the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and the Experimental Aircraft Association.

What it means for operators and travelers

For the FAA, multi-year funding would smooth procurement cycles that historically have moved in short appropriations bursts, allowing the agency to lock in production slots for radars, radios, and automation software. For airports in the 5–25 million passenger band — a tier that includes mid-size hubs that don't qualify for large-hub entitlement programs — the new grant would open a dedicated capital stream.

For travelers, the practical test is whether controllers see new automation in the cab and whether runways and towers get replaced before the next FAA reauthorization cycle. The legislation heads to the Senate Commerce Committee for markup, and whether the full $30 billion survives a budget process that has already trimmed other administration requests will set the pace of that deployment.