FAA funding bill bars privatizing air traffic control

A federal spending bill would direct billions to the Federal Aviation Administration and keep its air traffic work inside the agency. The measure also says none of the money in the bill, or in any other act, can be used to plan, design or carry out privatization or separation of the FAA’s air traffic organization functions.

For airlines, controllers and travelers, that means the core question is not just how the FAA spends the money. It is also who keeps control of the system as the agency works on upgrades and day-to-day operations.

What the money covers

The bill sets aside about $14.2 billion for necessary FAA expenses. Most of that money would come from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, which is the main federal account used to help pay for aviation programs and infrastructure.

The funding is broad. It covers FAA operations, research tied to commercial space transportation, administrative costs for research and development, air navigation facilities, aircraft leasing and maintenance, and even the cost of aeronautical charts and maps sold to the public. It also allows the FAA to lease or buy passenger motor vehicles for replacement only.

More oversight on modernization

The bill would also require the FAA administrator to deliver a spending plan and a briefing within 30 days after enactment. After that, the agency would have to brief the House and Senate Appropriations Committees every 90 days during fiscal year 2027 on FAA air traffic control modernization efforts.

That kind of regular reporting gives lawmakers a clearer look at how the agency is using its money. It also makes the modernization push harder to treat as a side project. The FAA would have to keep explaining what it is doing, how it is doing it, and how those efforts fit into the air traffic system it already runs.