Washington: The White House announced a proposal on Friday to cut $247 million from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) budget while allocating significant new funding to improve air traffic control systems and enhance rail safety infrastructure.
Outlined in the 2026 federal budget proposal, the administration seeks an additional $360 million for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This funding would support efforts to hire more air traffic controllers, raise salaries, and modernize the FAA’s outdated telecommunications systems. An extra $400 million is also proposed for rail safety and infrastructure upgrades, citing the 2023 Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, as a key motivator for reform.
The proposal includes a $308 million cut to the Essential Air Service (EAS) program, which subsidizes commercial flights to rural airports. Though widely favored by Republican lawmakers, the EAS has long faced scrutiny. The first Trump administration previously attempted to eliminate the program altogether, but Congress instead chose to increase its funding.
The aviation sector continues to face a critical shortage of air traffic controllers, with the FAA currently 3,500 short of its target staffing levels. This gap has resulted in frequent flight delays and forced many controllers into mandatory overtime and six-day work weeks.
Meanwhile, the TSA, which now employs nearly 60,000 staff, screened a record 904 million passengers in 2024—a 5% increase over the previous year. Despite this, the White House criticized the agency’s performance. In justifying its proposed cuts, it said: “TSA has consistently failed audits while implementing intrusive screening measures that violate Americans’ privacy and dignity.” However, it did not specify how many positions may be eliminated.
Also Read | Mother Convicted in South Africa for Trafficking Missing 6-Year-Old Daughter
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is scheduled to appear before Congress next week to request “tens of billions” of dollars over multiple years to overhaul the nation’s air traffic control system. As part of this push, the budget includes $4 billion in long-term funding, with $450 million allocated in 2026 for a multiyear radar replacement initiative.
Also Read | Trump’s Budget Proposes $3.2 Billion Contribution to World Bank’s Fund for Poorest Countries
In 2024, President Joe Biden sought $8 billion in funding over five years to modernize 377 aging radar systems deemed critical to U.S. aviation safety and at risk of failure.
