Dallas Fort Worth International Airport is set to receive $24 million in federal funding for air traffic control upgrades as Dallas prepares for major transportation demands tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy discussed the funding during a North Texas visit Friday, telling FOX 4 KDFW that the upgrades will help modernize aging aviation infrastructure at one of the world’s busiest airports.
DFW Airport To Receive $24M
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced May 15 that it will spend $835.8 million on air traffic control facility upgrades nationwide. The total includes more than $750 million to replace eight air traffic control towers and Terminal Radar Approach Controls, along with $85.8 million to upgrade Federal Contract Towers at 41 airports across 24 states.
Of that total, $24 million in federal funding is headed to DFW Airport, FOX 4 reported.
Air Traffic Control Upgrades
“Across the network, it hasn’t really been updated in decades,” Duffy told FOX 4. “This should have been done years ago. But as I’ve come into this position, I did a deep dive in the first couple of months to see how bad it was. And what I discovered was everything needs to be built brand new.”
Duffy said the federal work includes new air traffic control technology.
“We use copper wires. We’re going to go to fiber — new radars, new radio, new voice switches, new equipment for our controllers in the towers,” Duffy said. “All really important equipment on the safety side and the redundancy side.”
The FAA said the national projects will replace aging infrastructure and obsolete tower equipment, including radios, automated voice recorders, airport lighting controls, windows, heating and cooling systems, elevators, and roofs. The agency said many facilities are decades old and that failing infrastructure has interrupted air traffic services.
Family Travel Improvements
Duffy also said the federal government will spend another $1 billion to improve the travel experience for families at 45 airports.
He told FOX 4 that Dallas will see expanded bathrooms with more accessibility for strollers and changing tables.
World Cup Transit Planning
The airport upgrades come as North Texas prepares for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Duffy said Dallas will receive $10 million in federal funding to support transportation needs tied to the tournament.
“We’ve given $10 million to Dallas to help with the transportation needs you’re going to have in the city,” Duffy said. “You’re going to have more capacity than you normally have, so it’s going to help if you need to bring in more buses, more drivers, more overtime, to make sure we can move people through the city.”
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, North Texas officials have discussed major transit changes ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including expanded rail service, express bus routes, and shuttle connections intended to move fans across Dallas, Fort Worth, and Arlington.
Dallas will host nine World Cup matches at AT&T Stadium, the most of any single venue in the tournament, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
