Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and White House budget director Russell Vought are asking Congress to “act swiftly” to approve $30.1 billion. The money would finish modernizing the nation’s air traffic control system and upgrade its airports. That is according to a letter to key lawmakers reported by Reuters and Bloomberg Government.

“This investment is critical to complete the modernization of our national airspace,” Mr. Duffy and Mr. Vought wrote. They added that it would deliver “a resilient telecommunications backbone for air traffic controllers, modern hardware and software, state-of-the-art control towers, and world-class airport infrastructure.”

The request includes $10.1 billion for modern air traffic control. Of that, $7.2 billion would pay for a shared computer system and new workstations for controllers, and $2 billion would pay for cloud computing.

The request also seeks $2 billion to replace and improve Federal Aviation Administration control towers. It seeks $18 billion for airport projects, including $10 billion to modernize or replace old terminals.

“These investments will address current challenges, including weather related delays, while preparing the National Airspace System for emerging demands, such as safely integrating air traffic with the growing space industry,” the two officials wrote.

The letter went to the leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. They include the Republican chairs, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma. The administration has called on the Republican-led Congress to approve the money in the final weeks of the year.

Mr. Duffy pressed the case on Friday morning. “IT’S TIME TO PASS THE MODERN SKIES ACT,” he wrote on X. He pointed readers to the Reuters report, which the White House’s Rapid Response account also shared.

In the letter, the two officials said the FAA has already replaced 68 percent of its old copper phone and data lines with high-speed fiber. The agency said last week that it would replace the floppy disks still used for weather and other critical information. Those disks are used at more than 400 air traffic control facilities, and the agency said it would replace them by the end of 2028.

In July 2025, Congress approved $12.5 billion over five years to upgrade air traffic control and hire more controllers. American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines have said they support the new request, according to Reuters.