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him to ensure that these upgrades and systems are funded.”“We’re purchasing 25,000 new radios, replacing hundreds of outdated radars, and installing 4,000 new high-speed network connections—fiber, satellite, and wireless,”President Trump said on Thursday.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:
Below is a timeline of Sen. Sullivan’s recent work on aviation safety in Alaska and across the country:
# # #
“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.”