NATCA Members Provide Tour of Raleigh-Durham ATCT to U.S. Sen. Ted Budd

NATCA members gave U.S. Sen. Ted Budd from North Carolina a facility tour of the Raleigh-Durham ATCT/TRACON (RDU) on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. Sen. Budd experienced the training simulators for both the tower and the TRACON, reviewed the status of ongoing renovations at RDU, and climbed 25 flights of stairs to visit the tower because of a long-term elevator outage at the facility.

RDU is currently undergoing major renovations including a new HVAC system, repairs to the only elevator serving the tower, and the installation of electronic flight strips.

NATCA thanks Sen. Budd for his continued support of air traffic controllers and other aviation safety professionals.