Air traffic modernization is decades overdue, but Trump is finally going to get it done

When the Wright brothers took their first flight more than 100 years ago, who could have imagined that today nearly 90 percent of Americans would have flown in their lifetime?

The dream of flight became a reality in the U.S., and what was once a luxury only the wealthy could experience has become affordable and accessible to all.

As the birthplace of air travel, the U.S. should have the safest and most efficient system of air traffic control. Safety is the top priority of U.S. airlines, and this has made flying the safest mode of travel.

What we don’t have is the most efficient system. Report after report has shown that it is because of obsolete technology and inadequate staffing in our nation’s air traffic control towers.

Currently, towers are run with technology that was already aging in the late 1980s, featuring floppy disks, paper strips and copper wires. We are also short-staffed by nearly 3,000 air traffic controllers. These issues have led to delayed and cancelled flights and technology outages across the country, leaving travelers in the lurch and costing them time, money and patience.

We cannot and will not settle for the status quo. To usher in a new “Golden Age” of air travel, we must make this crisis a priority.

U.S. airlines are pleased to see that the Trump administration is doing just that. Following the devastating crash in Washington that took the lives of 67 people, President Trump vowed to upgrade to upgrade from the obsolete equipment in our nation’s air traffic control towers and ensure we have the best and brightest individuals staffing them.

The administration will release its plan to modernize our skies soon. These upgrades are long overdue. Although this historic overhaul will require significant investment, the cost of doing nothing will far outweigh the cost of these improvements.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has been working tirelessly to get this plan into motion. He reiterated at department headquarters recently that flying is safe, but that cracks are forming that must be addressed.

“Our airspace is safe because when there are issues, we don’t fly. That’s why we can confidently say this is the safest mode of travel,” the Secretary said. “The disruptions, cancelled flights or delayed lights, people get angry, annoyed, frustrated and rightfully so, but I think you’re starting to see cracks in the system, and you can see them in different locations.”

Trump and Duffy are making this work a priority to bring about a new era of safe aviation. Millions of people and thousands of tons of cargo fly across the nation every single day. It is the duty of lawmakers to ensure the safety, efficiency and resiliency of the National Airspace System, so we urge Congress to act swiftly on Trump's and Duffy’s plan to upgrade the infrastructure in our skies.

Nicholas E. Calio is president and Chief Executive Officer, Airlines for America.