FAA’s ‘NextGen’ Faces Significant Delays and Cost Overruns in U.S. Air Traffic Modernization Effort

A report released on Wednesday highlighted that the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) $15 billion air traffic control modernization project, launched in 2003, has experienced numerous delays, cost overruns, and has fallen short of its original ambitions.

By the end of 2024, the FAA is expected to have achieved only about 16% of NextGen’s total anticipated benefits. The Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General stated, “The FAA has delivered a NextGen program that is delayed, over budget, and less transformative than originally planned.”