El Paso’s aging air traffic control tower might finally be on its way to retirement, thanks to a new bill from Congresswoman Veronica Escobar that aims to fully fund a modern replacement at El Paso International Airport.
Introduced on Thursday, the legislation is designed to deliver a safer, up-to-date workspace for controllers who manage the Borderland’s unusually complex mix of military, commercial, and binational flights. It also seeks to lock in long-term operational improvements at ELP after years of local lobbying and earlier federal design work to get the project “shovel ready.”
According to a press release from Escobar, the El Paso Air Traffic Control Tower Modernization Act "would provide the funding necessary to replace the aging air traffic control (ATC) tower at the El Paso International Airport." Escobar framed the tower as critical infrastructure for a growing region that increasingly relies on efficient, safe air travel.
Cesar Cordero, principal facility representative for the National Air Traffic Controllers Association in El Paso, called the project a vital safety upgrade and said it "will replace a nearly sixty-year-old facility" for local controllers who are currently working in a structure built for a very different era of aviation.
What the bill does
The bill’s short title is the El Paso Air Traffic Control Tower Modernization Act, and its text directs that "such sums as may be necessary" be appropriated to replace ELP’s tower. The full text is available via Escobar. That language authorizes Congress to cover the project’s cost but leaves the actual budget numbers and timeline to future committee work and detailed engineering estimates.
FAA review and permitting
On the federal permitting dashboard, the FAA-led environmental assessment for the El Paso tower is listed as "in progress" with an estimated completion date of Feb. 15, 2026. That review will run in parallel with the House and Senate appropriations process, so even if Escobar’s bill clears Congress, construction will still hinge on both funding decisions and the outcome of that environmental work.
Where the money could come from
As outlined by the House Appropriations Committee, El Paso was singled out as an exceptional candidate for tower replacement. The committee recommended creating a pooled fund for ATC tower replacement projects that would help airports like ELP. The report set aside roughly $1.2 billion for tower replacement work nationwide, language supporters say could be tapped to move El Paso’s project forward if appropriators decide to put it near the front of the line.
Next steps locally
On the ground, Escobar and city leaders have already pushed for design work and brought federal officials out to tour the aging tower, but they are still waiting on two big green lights: congressional appropriations and completion of the environmental review. Engineering firms that specialize in air traffic control facilities list El Paso among their active projects, a hint that, behind the scenes, designers are laying the groundwork. One such firm, EXP, includes ELP in its tower portfolio.
For now, controllers keep working in a nearly 60-year-old tower while the region waits to see whether Congress will bankroll the next chapter of El Paso’s airspace.
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