The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) is maintaining its grading of D+ for U.S. aviation infrastructure, citing a capacity-constrained system that is projected to only worsen over time. ASCE releases its Report Card for America’s Infrastructure every four years, providing an infrastructure assessment throughout the nation. The 2025 edition, which evaluated 18 categories, had grades ranging from “B” to “D.”

In aviation, the grade matched that of the 2021 report. The report pointed to FAA projections that passenger traffic is expected to increase at a rate of 2.5% annually between 2023 and 2044, from 811 million to 1.3 billion. At the same time, the agency has found that 11 airports are expected to be runway-capacity-constrained by 2028, increasing to 14 by 2033. (“Capacity constrained” is defined as airports exceeding 80% of their hourly runway capacity for at least 50% of the time.) Further, 13 more airports are at risk of “significant congestion” through 2033, according to the report.

The report acknowledges that the FAA has made strides in its air traffic modernization efforts, but it said progress continues to be slowed by upgrade delays, the removal of outdated equipment, a lack of senior staff familiar with older equipment, and a lack of materials to repair older equipment.

Meanwhile, the FAA estimates that $67.5 billion in capital development projects is needed over the next five years, including approximately 18,100 projects for 3,287 existing airports and five new ones. But ASCE’s Bridging the Gap economic study found a need for $310 billion in investment through 2033.

To raise the grade, the association recommends that the government provide sufficient and flexible federal funding for consistent and long-term capacity, including more Airport Improvement Program grant flexibility and removing the cap on passenger facility charges.

The association recommended guidance on formal facility condition assessment programs, saying airports should look at their systems holistically for maintenance and with asset life cycle management plans across their systems. Addressing the workforce is another area of need, according to the report, pointing to a constrained controller workforce. The report also called for embracing proactive approaches to address sustainability and resiliency, as well as adopting new and emerging technologies.