The aviation industry in the United States is sounding the alarm: After a series of fatal accidents, including the tragic collision of an American Airlines regional jet with a Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River in Washington DC, representatives of the industry are calling for Congress to immediately provide emergency funding. The aim is to modernize the outdated air traffic control technologies and hire urgently needed specialists in order to counteract the ongoing staff shortages at US airports. The collision over Washington has reignited the debate about safety in US airspace. Although the air traffic controller responsible in this case was not directly held responsible for the accident, the incident nevertheless highlights structural weaknesses. The workload of many air traffic controllers is high, as they often have to coordinate the traffic of commercial aircraft and military helicopters at the same time. This is mainly due to the chronic understaffing of the control towers. According to the aviation associations Airlines for America, Aerospace Industries Association and International Air Transport Association, there is a shortage of around 3.500 air traffic controllers nationwide. More than 280 of the more than 300 air traffic control centers are understaffed, with some major airports such as John F. Kennedy International (JFK) and Newark Liberty International (EWR) operating at only 60% of required capacity. As a result, many controllers are forced to work overtime and six days a week. The FAA had already imposed flight restrictions on certain regions such as New York airspace last year to mitigate the problem. Industry calls for comprehensive modernization Industry representatives are urging Congress to quickly approve funding for the modernization of air traffic control systems and the hiring and training of new air traffic controllers. In