Big upgrades are coming to Westchester County Airport. Here's what we know.

Safety upgrades are coming to Westchester County Airport, which serves 2 million flyers every year.

During a news conference on Monday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced what's planned.

New tech to increase safety and efficiency

The tower at the airport is showing its age, outside and in. Some of the technology used by air traffic controllers is not exactly state of the art.

"They have paper strips up in the tower. They'll pass an airplane off from one controller to the next. They use paper. They're marking on it, passing it off. We're gonna digitize it. It's gonna be great," Duffy said.

Duffy said old does not mean unsafe, but new technology will increase safety and efficiency.

Back in May, Westchester County Airport got a new surface awareness system to help protect planes and vehicles from ground collisions, like the one in March at LaGuardia that killed two Air Canada pilots.

The airport will also get fiber optic cable to prevent troublesome telecommunications interruptions.

"New radios, new radar, new voice switches," Duffy said.

Rep. Lawler helps secure $18 million in funding

Congressman Mike Lawler, who represents a big chunk of the Hudson Valley, helped steer $18 million in federal funds for the upgrades.

"We've wanted to invest heavily in upgrading this infrastructure that Republicans and Democrats have said they've wanted to do for years," Lawler said.

The safety upgrades come as County Executive Ken Jenkins plans for a total renovation of the airport terminal, which was built in 1995 and is no one's idea of a modern air travel facility.