The U.S. Congress has passed President Donald J. Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” authorizing an initial $12.5 billion to overhaul the nation’s aging air-traffic-control network. The legislation follows years of complaints from airlines and regulators that World War II-era equipment and copper-wire communications are contributing to flight delays and safety concerns. The U.S. Department of Transportation says the money will fund a wholesale shift to fiber-optic data links and next-generation radar. Officials point to a recent pilot project at Newark Liberty International Airport—where fiber upgrades lifted on-time departures to a record for June—as evidence the program can quickly cut bottlenecks across the system. The White House plans to award a single, nationwide modernization contract within the next few months. Raytheon Technologies and IBM have indicated they will compete for the work, which the administration estimates could be finished in roughly two years.