A major glitch in the US air traffic control system on Friday (November 13) led to over 15,000 flight cancelations across two days, leaving more than 1 million travelers stranded or delayed.
The chaos started when an attempted tech upgrade exposed just how much the system still relies on old-school tools: think paper strips and copper wires.
Duffy warns doing nothing risks aviation
After this mess, the FAA is asking Congress for $50 billion to finally modernize its outdated setup, a big jump from its earlier $30 billion request.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy put it plainly that doing nothing would create even greater risks for the aviation system, highlighting that parts of the system date back to the 1970s and last year's funding just wasn't enough.