We are entering one of the busiest travel seasons of the year. More than 80 million Americans are traveling for Thanksgiving this week. While most of them are packing up their cars and hitting the road, 6 million Americans will be boarding a plane in order to spend Thanksgiving with their loved ones.

I know a lot of people don’t particularly look forward to flying, and I get it. With our state’s unpredictable bouts of severe weather, South Dakotans are no strangers to flight disruptions. And our aging air traffic control system can cause disruptions as well. I know air traffic controllers are working hard every day to keep planes moving quickly and safely, but I also recognize they have to rely on technology that’s often decades old. Not to mention, we’re facing a shortage of controllers, which means controllers at a number of airports need to work longer hours and extra shifts to keep everything running smoothly.

These challenges were exacerbated during the recent government shutdown. Air travel was snarled from the beginning of Democrats’ shutdown, and by the time the shutdown entered its second month the Federal Aviation Administration had to order cutbacks in air traffic as a matter of safety. Fortunately, regional air service was preserved, so states like ours could continue to access air travel. I’m grateful to the controllers who were on duty and working without pay during the shutdown, and I’m glad that air traffic is back at normal levels today. Now we must return our focus to modernizing America’s air traffic control system for the long term.

This is something that has been a priority for the Trump administration and for Congress. Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill made a significant investment in technology improvements for the air traffic system, which will support the deployment of state-of-the-art technology to towers across America. The Trump administration is also working to hire and train new controllers to get the controller force back to full strength. And for our part, Congress remains committed to providing funding in order to hire 2,500 new controllers next year.

Upgrading outdated technology and bringing on additional controllers will make a big difference for the traveling public and for supply chains that rely on air cargo. It means maximizing efficiency without compromising safety. And hopefully it means less time on tarmacs and in terminals and more time spent with loved ones.

Like many families, one of our Thanksgiving traditions is going around the table to say what we’re thankful for. For me, being with my family is at the top of that list. I know how important it is to make sure that all Americans are able to spend the holidays with their families and not stuck at an airport.

We won’t fix the system overnight, but thanks to the Trump administration and our continued efforts in Congress, we are making progress toward a state-of-the-art air traffic control system for America. I’m glad that the system is back at full strength after the shutdown, and we’re working to make it stronger every day.