Aging air traffic systems at Westchester Airport set for FAA overhaul
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced on Monday a series of long-awaited air traffic control upgrades aimed at modernizing aging FAA infrastructure.
Westchester County Airport was in the national spotlight Monday as U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a series of long-awaited air traffic control upgrades aimed at modernizing aging FAA infrastructure.
Duffy visited the airport in West Harrison alongside Rep. Mike Lawler, highlighting planned improvements that officials say will strengthen aviation safety at the regional airport and across the country.
During a tour of the airport’s control tower, Duffy pointed to the age of many of the systems currently in use.
“Your tower didn’t disappoint. It’s old,” Duffy said.
The transportation secretary said some FAA equipment in use nationwide dates back decades, underscoring the need for modernization.
The upgrades at Westchester County Airport are part of a $12.5 billion FAA modernization initiative approved as part of last year’s federal tax and spending package. According to Lawler, the airport is expected to receive approximately $18 million in air traffic control improvements by the end of 2028.
The planned upgrades include new radios, voice communication switches and electronic flight strips, replacing paper-based systems that controllers still rely on in many facilities.
“Right now they have paper strips up in the tower,” Duffy said. “What you have in your airport is not different than what we have in many airports across this country.”
Travelers welcomed the investment in aviation safety.
“A little strange,” said Lou Villano, of Palm Beach, Florida, after learning some equipment remains decades old. “I know the traffic controllers get shortchanged. They work a lot of hours.”
Katie Stanley, of Atlanta, said air travel safety should remain a priority regardless of politics.
“Politics have gotten involved in everything, but I feel as if air travel seems to be somewhat separate,” she said.
While the airport’s communications and tracking systems are slated for replacement, the control tower itself is not included in the current funding package. Officials noted the tower, though aging, is significantly newer than some of the equipment it houses.
The FAA safety upgrades at Westchester County Airport are expected to be implemented throughout 2027 and 2028.
