The heads of the largest airlines in the country penned an open letter Wednesday calling on Congress to fund a major modernization of the U.S.'s antiquated air traffic control system that has contributed to heightened safety concerns and rampant airport delays.

"The current system is failing Americans," the group of 10 company CEOs wrote in a joint letter that was posted on the Airlines for America (A4A) industry collective's website. "The United States needs and deserves a world-class aviation system."

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