FAA to see $2.3B budget boost in FY2026, focus on ATC

The US House Appropriations Committee has approved a $23.3 billion budget for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for fiscal year 2026, marking a significant increase of over $2.3 billion compared to the current year.

The funding is part of the broader Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bill aimed at modernizing the national airspace system and strengthening aviation safety. A key focus of the new budget is air traffic control. The bill allocates $10.368 billion to fully fund ATC operations. It includes funding to hire 2,500 new air traffic controllers. This move addresses ongoing staffing shortages that have already led to increased overtime and added pressure on the current workforce. The new hires are expected to help the air traffic system run more smoothly.

Beyond ATC operations, the FAA will receive a record $5 billion for facilities and equipment, marking its largest infrastructure funding to date. This funding should help to maintain and upgrade critical equipment like radar systems, control towers, and other technology needed to manage air traffic.

The FAA’s overall operations budget will rise to $13.48 billion, an increase of $269 million from the previous year, though slightly below the administration’s original request. Within this, $379 million is allocated to the Aircraft Certification Service, with a portion dedicated to enhanced inspector training and restoring technical knowledge.

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However, not all areas saw funding increases. Research and development was cut by $50 million to $230 million, while Airport Improvement Program funding remains unchanged at $4 billion.

The budget now moves to the Senate, where lawmakers will review it and negotiate their version before reaching a final agreement.The post FAA to see $2.3B budget boost in FY2026, focus on ATC appeared first on AeroTime.

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