US President Donald Trump on Sunday, 15 November 2026, blamed the Biden administration for the state of America's air traffic control (ATC) system and urged Congress to approve a sweeping overhaul, two days after a communications failure triggered a nationwide ground stop that stranded thousands of passengers. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not yet established the root cause of the Friday failure.

What Trump Said

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: 'The Biden Administration was an FAA disaster,' accusing his predecessor's team of mismanaging funds and leaving the system in a weakened state. In a follow-up post, he argued that repairs should be executed comprehensively rather than piecemeal. 'We have already started the work, but it should be done all at once, not in drips and drabs. Congress must approve,' he wrote.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Sunday that airlines should return to normal operations by Monday. Duffy confirmed he was seeking $50 billion for a new telecommunications architecture and software, arguing that existing appropriations were insufficient for the scale of upgrade required.

What Caused the Communications Failure

The FAA said excessive data overwhelmed its telecommunications network on Friday, destabilising aircraft communications and radar feeds. Its preliminary investigation identified two potential sources: a radio communications site in El Dorado, Arkansas, and a radar site in Amarillo, Texas. Network provider L3Harris had been working at the Arkansas site, including installing a new router. The network stabilised after both locations were isolated, and similar broadcasting functions were disabled on other routers as a precaution.

The FAA confirmed it had found no indication of a cyberattack. About 3,500 aircraft already airborne at the time landed safely, and air traffic resumed at 8:15 pm EST on Friday.

Democrats Challenge the Funding Push

Democratic lawmakers pushed back sharply, questioning the administration's case for additional money. Representatives Rick Larsen and André Carson — the senior Democrats on the House transportation committee and its aviation subcommittee — said the administration had obligated only $4.3 billion of the $12.5 billion Congress had already approved for ATC improvements, and had actually spent just $1 billion.

They said FAA and transportation officials would brief committee staff on Monday regarding an earlier administration request for an additional $30 billion. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford is also expected to face questions at a hearing planned for early December. The lawmakers signalled that oversight of the ATC overhaul would be a priority once Democrats take control of the committee.

Modern Skies Act and the Legislative Path Ahead

The administration-backed Modern Skies Act, introduced by Republican Senator Eric Schmitt in September, proposes approximately $30 billion for aviation improvements. The package reportedly covers ATC technology, airport towers and terminals, and a programme to rebuild ageing facilities at up to three medium-sized hub airports.

Separately, Air India issued an advisory warning passengers of possible disruptions to flights to and from the United States, urging travellers to verify their flight status before heading to airports. The airline did not identify specific cancellations.

What Comes Next

With the FAA's root-cause investigation still ongoing, the political and legislative battle over aviation funding is set to intensify. The administration's push for $50 billion — well above the Modern Skies Act's $30 billion figure — will face sustained Democratic scrutiny over how previously approved funds were actually deployed. The December hearing with Administrator Bedford is likely to become a flashpoint.