India, Nov. 14 -- The nationwide grounding of US flight departures has intensified calls for a major overhaul of the country's ageing air traffic control infrastructure, with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy urging Congress to approve $50 billion in funding.

Duffy blamed lawmakers for failing to provide sufficient resources to replace outdated aviation technology, arguing that the latest disruption highlighted the risks of continuing to depend on ageing equipment and communications systems.

His demand came a day after the Transportation Department and the White House sought congressional approval for $30.1 billion to upgrade airports and modernise the national air traffic control network. The proposed investment is intended to replac...