Policy: United States
Key Facts
·Who. Sean Duffy, the US Transportation Secretary, speaking at a White House news conference on Friday 13 November.
·What. He asked Congress for US$50 billion in emergency money, up from the US$30 billion he said President Donald Trump had requested.
·Already funded. Congress set aside about US$12.5 billion in July 2025, including US$4.75 billion for telecommunications upgrades.
·Next. We found no scheduled congressional vote on the US$50 billion, and Duffy gave no breakdown of it.
·As of Saturday 14 November 2026, 07:30 GMT
Sean Duffy, the US Transportation Secretary, asked Congress on Friday 13 November 2026 for US$50 billion in emergency funding to rebuild the country’s ageing air traffic control system. He spoke after a nationwide ground stop, an order that kept every departing US flight on the ground for more than four hours.
The figure is US$20 billion above the US$30 billion that Duffy said President Donald Trump has already requested. A formal request sent before the outage by Duffy and White House budget director Russell Vought sought about US$30 billion, split into US$10.1 billion for air traffic control technology, US$2 billion for towers and US$18 billion for airports.
What Duffy Asked For
Duffy blamed old equipment for the outage: “We have old, old switches, old routers. We use 1980s little copper lines,” he said. He said the money would replace hardware, telecommunications equipment and control towers.
“This is an emergency. I want Congress to give us emergency funding. This is bipartisan. This is American. I want $50 billion.” Sean Duffy, US Transportation Secretary, Friday 13 November
Duffy did not say how the US$50 billion would be divided or how it relates to the US$30 billion request. He noted that the administration had already secured US$12.5 billion.
The Money Already on the Table
Public Law 119-21, the 2025 budget law known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, appropriated US$4.75 billion for telecommunications upgrades, US$3 billion for radar and US$1.9 billion for a new air route traffic control centre, which guides planes between airports. The money is available until 30 September 2029.
In September, Duffy said the administration would ask Congress for another US$30 billion, split roughly between towers, technology and airports. Senator Eric Schmitt, a Missouri Republican, also introduced the Modern Skies Act in September, a bill to carry the plan.
Why It Matters for US Travellers
Flight-tracking data showed more than 4,000 US cancellations by Friday evening, after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) halted departures when routers began giving inconsistent data, Duffy explained. The FAA said in its statement on the ground stop that communication issues had hit multiple Air Route Traffic Control Centers.
The 2025 money is available until 2029. Duffy said in September that the core software could be finished by the end of 2028 if Congress supplied the resources.
What to Watch
Duffy said he expects flights to recover before the Thanksgiving rush, and Thanksgiving falls on Thursday 26 November. Any vote on the new figure would need a bill, and we could not confirm a date for one.
The Modern Skies Act, introduced by Senator Schmitt in September, is the bill for the earlier US$30 billion plan. We could not confirm its status since then.
What Is Not Known
Duffy did not give a breakdown of the US$50 billion or a timetable for spending it. We did not find a lawmaker’s response to the US$50 billion figure by Saturday morning.
As of Friday night the FAA had not said which update or piece of equipment failed first. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was no indication of a cyberattack.
In Plain English
Air traffic control system: the radars, radios, computers and buildings that guide planes through US airspace.
Emergency funding: money Congress approves outside the normal budget cycle for an urgent need.
Ground stop: an order that keeps planes from taking off; planes already flying continue and land.
Sources
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, White House news conference, 13 November 2026, as reported here and here; FAA, statement on the nationwide ground stop, 13 November 2026; US Congress, Public Law 119-21, section 40003; Duffy, September 2026 remarks, as reported here and here.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did Sean Duffy ask Congress for?
Duffy asked Congress for US$50 billion in emergency funding on Friday 13 November 2026. He said President Donald Trump had asked for US$30 billion.
How much has Congress already approved for air traffic control?
Congress approved about US$12.5 billion in 2025, including US$4.75 billion for telecommunications, US$3 billion for radar and US$1.9 billion for a new route control centre.
Why did Duffy ask for more money now?
He linked the request to the Friday ground stop, which he blamed on old routers and switches. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was no indication of a cyberattack.
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