# Operations

**Agency:** Transportation  
**Account:** Operations  
**Source document:** FAA · p. 1  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/budget/transportation/operations  

> **Trust:** parsed from the agency Congressional Justification. Approximate, **not summable**, verify at the cited page.

## Funding ($M)

| Fiscal year | Basis | Amount |
| --- | --- | --- |
| FY2025 | enacted | 13,482.8 |
| FY2026 | enacted | 13,710.0 |
| FY2027 | request | 14,191.6 |

## Transportation discretionary budget authority (OMB PBDB — authoritative)

FY2027 $22.40B, FY2026 $61.90B. This is the agency total, not a sum of the parsed lines.


## What this funds

Detailed Justification for the Air Traffic Organization (ATO) What is this program and what does this funding level support? The Air Traffic Organization (ATO) operates the most complex and technically advanced air traffic control (ATC) system in the world. In FY 2027, ATO is required to sustain and improve effective and efficient ATC throughout the US airspace. The funding requested will enable ATO to train the FAA's highly skilled workforce, provide information and updates to the flying public to ensure safe air travel, maintain the critical infrastructure necessary to operate the National Airspace System (NAS), review and update navigational information to promote more efficient air transportation, and effectively control air traffic, which is a major contributor to the national While the system is already exceedingly safe, ATO is making it safer by moving to a proactive safety culture in which every individual in ATO is committed to assessing and mitigating risks. Even as safety is paramount, ATO is taking steps to enable growth and changes in aviation. ATO is a performance-based organization providing safe, secure, and cost-effective ATC services to commercial aviation, private aviation, and the military. ATO employs almost 29,000 Operations-funded professionals who are committed to providing safe and efficient ATC directly serve FAA's customers. The remaining employees work in a wide variety of professions ATO provides air traffic services for the Nation, handling over 45,000 scheduled passenger flights per day at U.S. airports and helping transport over one billion passengers per year, a vital part of the Nation's economy. In total, the ATO handles over 46,300 Instrument Flight Rules flights per day, and manages over 155,000 operations (including departures, arrivals, and over- flights) per day at FAA and Contract Towers. FAA data shows that civil aviation accounts for over $1.8 trillion in total economic activity, supporting more than five percent of the U.S. gross domestic product. Approximately 11 million people are employed in aviation-related fields and earn over $488.2 billion a year. ATO has several efforts underway to make sure fully trained and certified air traffic controllers are available to keep pace with projected increases in air travel demand, including hiring and training several thousand controllers over the next decade. Efforts are underway to streamline our training process while increasing resiliency to serve the high demand markets as air traffic increases and we prepare for the future. ATO has supercharged its hiring efforts to ensure the hiring plan matches our recruitment and retention strategies. Additionally, the increase will help the FAA meet the needs of a modern-day workforce, while meeting industry demand. The ATO is also focused on optimizing classroom and simulation training by increasing the contract instruction resources at critical facilities and investing in the Tower Training Simulation (TSS) to use state-of-the-art capabilities and meet the increased demand. en route, terminal, and combined facilities across the United States, Puerto Rico, and Guam. AJT manages more than 29 million square miles of airspace. Operations are organized into geographic service areas to ensure effective oversight and consistent service delivery. Each service area is responsible for supervising ATC operations within its region and maintaining established standards for safety, capacity, and operational excellence. Technical Operations (AJW): Technical Operations sustains the hardware and software systems that comprise the National Airspace System (NAS), enabling controllers to communicate, surveil, and manage air traffic safely and efficiently. AJW ensures the availability and reliability of NAS facilities, systems, and equipment through responsive, cost-effective maintenance and oversight of leased services. Technical Operations also leads the protection of the NAS by establishing cybersecurity governance and requirements, coordinating threat information sharing and interagency collaboration, and aligning acquisition strategies to rapidly deploy capabilities that defend critical infrastructure from evolving threats. System Operations (AJR): System Operations delivers NAS-wide operational services that support all aspects of air traffic control, including air transportation, space operations, flight services, and integration of new entrants. AJR serves as the ATO focal point for collaborative decision-making with industry, strengthening partnerships to ensure safe and efficient NAS performance. The organization also coordinates closely with the Department of War and other Safety (AJI): ATO Safety is the focal point for collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to enhance safety initiatives. Safety ensures the safety of the NAS through the identification and mitigation of aviation-related safety risks through investigations, quality performance monitoring, and safety tool development. Mission Support Services (AJV): Mission Support Services provides strategic leadership and enterprise support to enable safe and efficient air traffic operations. AJV develops airspace policy and strategy; designs aeronautical charts and procedures; and leads domestic and international airspace coordination. As a shared service organization, AJV delivers technical, support across the ATO. AJV also oversees technical training for controllers, technicians, and engineers, and manages controller hiring, placement, and Academy tracking to ensure a ready Flight Program Operations (AJF): Flight Program Operations is responsible for all agency flight operations, both manned and unmanned, conducted at multiple facilities across the country. These responsibilities include all aspects of flight program safety operations, training, maintenance, policy, and administration. This includes providing formal training and currency/proficiency services to Aviation Safety participants in the FAA Flight Program; conducting flight inspection to ensure the integrity of instrument approaches and airway procedures that constitute our NAS infrastructure and meet the agency's international and DOD commitments; conducting flights supporting research, development, test and evaluation of new navigation aids, air traffic procedures, aircraft improvement, and aviation medical research; and providing critical event transportation for the Department of Transportation, FAA, and the National Transportation Safety Board required to accomplish official responsibilities in times of ' Release the Technical Operations Services Airway Transportation Systems Specialist technician workforce plan, to include a 5-year technician staffing strategy accounting for ' Maintain and sustain core infrastruct


**Where it sits:** Civilian / Non-Defense › Transportation › FAA › Operations


*HitchAI is an independent intelligence service, not affiliated with the U.S. government. Civilian line dollars are parsed from agency Congressional Justifications and are approximate.*