Sullivan Applauds DOT Air Traffic Safety Overhaul with Critical Upgrades & 174 New Weather Stations for Alaska

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA—U.S. Senator Sullivan (R-Alaska) today celebrated the announcement from the Department of Transportation (DOT) of a new effort to build a state-of-the-art air traffic control system to enhance safety in the sky, reduce delays, and provide air traffic controllers with modern, reliable equipment. This overhaul includes several Alaska-specific provisions, including the addition of 174 new weather stations for the state and a modernization of flight service systems. These upgrades follow Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy’s commitment to Sen. Sullivan to strongly support Alaska aviation safety, especially as Alaska faces an aviation accident rate 2.35 times higher than the national average.

Sen. Sullivan spoke about this historic announcement today on Fox News Channel’s “America Reports.”

“We need to keep our aviation system the safest in the world, but it is creaking and falling apart. No state is more aware of this challenge than Alaska, with dozens of communities off the road system and wholly reliant on aviation, and an air traffic control system responsible for the heavily-trafficked aviation routes between North America and Asia,” said Sen. Sullivan. “President Trump and Secretary Duffy have shown tremendous leadership, outlining bold, top-to-bottom reforms to our air traffic control system and marshalling the support of all stakeholders—the unions of our FAA and ATC employees, industry, and lawmakers. Importantly, the President and the Secretary announced their support for 174 new weather stations just for Alaska, which could be transformative for aviation safety in our great state. I’ll continue working closely with Secretary Duffy and my colleagues on securing the necessary funding for achieving this much-needed overhaul and prioritizing the unique needs of Alaska.”

“From the beginning of my time as Secretary, I’ve been working on aviation safety issues in Alaska and across the country that Senator Sullivan has been driving for years,” Secretary Duffy said. “The dramatic and much-needed increase in weather stations for Alaska and a modernization of flight service systems for the state that we announced yesterday were a direct result of Senator Sullivan’s advocacy. I look forward to working with him to ensure that these upgrades and systems are funded.”

“We’re purchasing 25,000 new radios, replacing hundreds of outdated radars, and installing 4,000 new high-speed network connections—fiber, satellite, and wireless,” President Trump said on Thursday. “We’ll also be installing 174 new weather stations in Alaska. Alaska is prime time for aviation needs.”

Below is a summary of DOT’s intended upgrades for air traffic control and safety infrastructure in Alaska and across the United States:

Replacing antiquated telecommunications with new fiber, wireless and satellite technologies at over 4,600 sites, 25,000 new radios and 475 new voice switches.
Replacing 618 radars which have gone past their life cycle.
Addressing runway safety by increasing the number of airports with Surface Awareness Initiative (SAI) to 200.
Building six new air traffic control centers for the first time since the 1960s and replacing towers and TRACONs.
Installing new modern hardware and software for all air traffic facilities to create a common platform system throughout towers, TRACONs and centers.
Addressing the unique challenges that face Alaska by adding 174 new weather stations.

Below is a timeline of Sen. Sullivan’s recent work on aviation safety in Alaska and across the country:

On April 9, 2025, The FAA announced a $25 million investment in Alaska aviation safety, a result of a Sullivan provision in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 authorizing $25 million annually for FAA Alaska Aviation Safety Initiative (FAASI) from FY 2025 through 2028. The FAA also announced it will be expanding the FAA’s use of satellites in Alaska—growing from four testing sites to 16—to help support connectivity at weather monitoring sites, particularly in the more remote parts of the state. Alaska has long had issues with reliable weather information for the aviation community. The 2024 reauthorization, of which Senator Sullivan was an author, required the FAA to fix telecommunications connections to address those needs.
On February 11, 2025, Sen. Sullivan led a press conference with Senator Lisa Murkowski and Representative Nick Begich (both R-Alaska), Secretary Duffy, and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy regarding their shared focus on enhancing aviation safety in Alaska.
On January 15, 2025, Sen. Sullivan received commitments from former Representative Sean Duffy (R-Wisc.), President Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of Transportation, regarding transportation challenges in Alaska and the vital need to expand critical infrastructure. Specifically, Sen. Sullivan received commitments from Duffy to visit Alaska, continue to fund the Essential Air Service Program, support the FAASI, and work toward much-needed permitting reform.
On May 9, 2024, the Senate passed the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 with numerous Sullivan-authored provisions related to aviation safety in Alaska, including support for the FAASI and a requirement for FAA to improve maintenance of weather equipment. The bill was signed into law on May 16, 2024.
In September of 2021, the FAA established the FAASI, an FAA effort to respond to the February 2020 NTSB Report and the Alaska Aviation Safety Summit. The FAASI identifies safety improvements and investments for the Alaska Region, and aims to make progress on the effort for FAA and DOT to take a holistic view of DOT programs to ensure that inherent bias no longer inhibits infrastructure investments in remote Alaska Native communities.

On October 8, 2020, Sen. Sullivan worked with previous FAA Administrator Dickson to host the Alaska Safety Summit, which was focused solely on Alaska aviation issues. The Senator pressed the administration to take a holistic view to solve the problems presented in Alaska.

The Senate passed the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act, including multiple Sullivan-authored provisions focused on Alaska aviation safety, including enabling the acquisition of new weather reporting and navigation infrastructure.

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“We’re purchasing 25,000 new radios, replacing hundreds of outdated radars, and installing 4,000 new high-speed network connections—fiber, satellite, and wireless,” President Trump said on Thursday. “We’ll also be installing 174 new weather stations in Alaska. Alaska is prime time for aviation needs.”

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