A September 2024 U.S. Government Accountability Office report found that the FAA's air traffic control systems are critically outdated, with 37% rated unsustainable and 39% potentially unsustainable out of 138 total systems reviewed. The agency has been slow to modernize the most at-risk systems, with some upgrades not planned for completion until 2030–2035, and four critical systems lacking any modernization plans at all. The GAO made seven recommendations to improve FAA oversight and accelerate upgrades to protect the safety and efficiency of the national airspace.

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GAO report to Congressional committees identifying that 76% of FAA’s air traffic control systems are unsustainable or potentially unsustainable, with 58 systems having critical operational impacts on safety and efficiency. The report highlights urgent need for modernization following a 2023 national airspace shutdown due to aging system outage.

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As the source for federal transportation grants, the Puget Sound Regional Council was charged with developing a system to meet the growing need for commercial aviation. When the search for a second airport failed, they authorized the Port of Seattle to build the Third Runway, with a mandate to develop a noise abatement and mitigation program. In their effort to stop the Third Runway, the ACC argued over every detail of the Port's efforts--including property buyouts and sound insulation. The dispute was meant to be settled by a three member Expert Arbitration Panel. This is their final report. It finds 2-1, that the Port's program was insufficient in several respects. Despite that, funding for the Third Runway was approved by the PSRC, and the 'Port Package' program, proceeded largely unchanged. Expert Arbitration Panel's final decision finding that the Port of Seattle had not shown sufficient reduction in real on-the-ground noise impacts to satisfy noise reduction conditions required for approval of a third runway at Sea-Tac International Airport. The majority decision concluded the Port's noise abatement programs were insufficient despite being impressive in scope.

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