As Congress returns to work this week, faced with a bevy of lingering bills and considerable crucial decisions in the wake of Harvey (and ahead of Irma), Pennsylvania Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA) is expected to make his strongest push yet to pass his 21st Century AIRR Act. And while Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO), who opposed the 2016 version of Shuster’s bill but is now conveniently his strongest ally, told CQ last week that the House would temporarily shelve the incredibly costly ATC privatization plan and seek to extend the FAA’s funding, Shuster’s quest to hand air traffic control to a non-profit corporate entity is far from over.
ATC Privatization Proponents Making All-Out Push Ahead of House Vote
Key Takeaways:
- Rep. Bill Shuster is making a strong push for his 21st Century AIRR Act, aiming to privatize U.S. air traffic control (ATC) by transferring it to a non-profit corporate entity.
- The privatization plan faces significant opposition from numerous aviation groups, including NBAA, and prominent figures like "Sully" Sullenberger and NASA astronauts, who view it as an airline "power grab" lacking accountability and detrimental to general aviation.
- Despite a temporary shelving of the plan for FAA funding extension and other national priorities, Shuster is actively seeking votes, while airlines launch a media campaign to support the bill, prompting opposition groups to fund counter-efforts to educate the public.
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