The first digital air traffic control towers in the United States are officially operational, the Federal Aviation Administration announced, starting at smaller airports in Florida and Alaska as the Trump administration presses ahead with updating the country's ageing aviation infrastructure, the Guardian reported.
The systems are online at Bartow executive airport in Florida and Kenai municipal airport in Alaska, with five additional regional airports slated to receive the technology next. They use camera systems and digital displays to give controllers a continuous, 360-degree view of airport operations, including runways, taxiways and surrounding airspace, according to the agency.
The FAA maintains the technology is not intended to replace human controllers but to give them greater visibility and more information. "Our air traffic controllers continue to do the critical job of keeping aircraft safely separated, and we're giving them better technology to do that," administrator Bryan Bedford said. He is scheduled to appear before the House transportation and infrastructure committee next week, where he will face questions about the administration's $12.5bn modernization initiative, which aims to replace copper telecommunications lines, floppy disks and paper strips used to track aircraft.
Congress approved $12.5bn over five years in June 2025 to support air traffic control reforms, but the administration is seeking another $30bn. Concerns about the technology have gained traction alongside growing unease about artificial intelligence; in September the FAA rolled out an AI tool called Smart. Staffing has been under close scrutiny since a midair collision between a passenger jet and a military helicopter near Washington killed 67 people in 2025.