January 22, 2026
The U.S. Contract Tower Association today participated in a roundtable discussion on air traffic control modernization headed by House Aviation Subcommittee Chair Troy Nehls (R-TX). Nehls is heading a bipartisan working group that is meeting with aviation stakeholders to explore possible policy options for ATC modernization.
Tower Construction: During today’s listening session that focused on airport-related issues, USCTA’s Brad Van Dam hit on some key ATC recommendations that the association shared with the committee last year. For instance, he urged Congress and the administration to approve more funding for contract tower construction – both sponsor-owned and FAA-owned towers.
He told lawmakers that Congress approved $300 million for contract tower construction as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. But he suggested that funding is not nearly enough to address the overwhelming need to repair and replace outdated contract towers, many of which or 40 years old or older.
To help make the point, he indicated that the FAA received 82 applications for $191 million in requests for projects at sponsor-owned towers in Fiscal Year 2025 – far more than $20 million available. (The FAA recently released a Notice of Funding Opportunity for FY26 funding with a strict deadline of February 17 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time for applications.)
Tower Equipment: Van Dam also urged Congress and the administration to provide federal funds to equip contract towers with better technology to aid controllers. The FAA bill opened the door by including USCTA-backed provisions that require the FAA to allow controllers to use airborne situational awareness equipment and to allow airports to install and maintain that equipment.
He told lawmakers that those provisions are beginning to pay off. He described how uAvionix recently deployed its Airborne Position Reference Tools (APRT) system at the Glacier Park International and Leesburg Executive Airports. He also told lawmakers that providing federal funds to install and operate APRT systems would be a quick, easy, and inexpensive way to enhance aviation safety at small airports.
Controller Staffing: Van Dam also urged Congress and the administration to address controller staffing challenges at contract towers. He indicated that the FAA reauthorization bill included helpful language proposed by USCTA that requires DOT and the Department of Labor to review and update the outdated wage determination for controllers and managers.
He called on lawmakers to ensure that the administration completes that review as soon as possible. And he suggested that a modest salary increase could help contractors retain and attract new controllers and assist their efforts to ensure contract towers are fully staffed and operational.