U.S. Federal Aviation Administration sent this bulletin at 09/17/2026 04:18 PM EDT
Week of September 14, 2026
Portland Gets Latest Radar Upgrade
Air traffic controllers at Portland International Airport (PDX) in Oregon received the newest surface safety equipment earlier this month. A new Surface Movement Radar (SMR) was installed at PDX and controllers will start using the new safety tool in a few weeks. SMRs enable air traffic controllers to track aircraft and vehicles on runways and taxiways and alert them to potential conflicts. Portland is the sixth airport to receive a new SMR. You can learn more about Brand New Air Traffic Control System upgrades by visiting our Modern Skies website.
Laser strikes on aircraft continue to drop! Pilots have reported 4,470 laser strikes to the FAA in 2026 - a 24 percent decrease from this time last year, but still too high. The continued decline is a result of our ongoing outreach and training efforts with local, state, and federal law enforcement and public awareness campaigns. The latest numbers are a sharp decline from the all-time high of 13,304 reported strikes in 2023.
This week’s guest Weather Squad forecaster is Jackie Layer with DC News Now out of our Nation’s capital. Jackie is forecasting record high temperatures across the South and Southeast followed by a rainy weekend for East Coasters.
ICYMI
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and the FAA made a $1.1 billion investment into upgrading critical airport infrastructure, delivering 280 grants to airports in 46 states and three territories through the Airport Improvement Program (AIP).
Washington Dulles International Airport air traffic controllers are now using electronic flight strips (EFS). EFS replaces old paper strips and increases safety and efficiency by providing real-time updates and streamlining the flight-planning process.
