The White House’s proposal to privatize our nation’s air traffic control system is nothing new. The original en route air traffic control system developed in the late 1920s, in fact, was owned and operated by the airlines. But by the late 1930s, after a number of high-profile airline crashes, the federal government and airlines jointly decided that a central authority should be in charge. The obvious answer was for the government to run the ATC system, which it has ably done for the past 80 years with a safety record unmatched anywhere in the world.
On Course: Privatize ATC? No Way!
Key Takeaways:
- The article criticizes the current White House and Rep. Bill Shuster's proposal to privatize the U.S. air traffic control (ATC) system, moving it from the FAA to a non-profit entity called ATC Corp, despite historical precedents of government-run ATC.
- The author opposes privatization, arguing it would lead to an airline-influenced board detrimental to general aviation, introduce user fees, and that a non-profit structure lacks the incentive for excellence needed for modernization.
- Instead of privatization, the author suggests that genuine ATC modernization should focus on reforming the FAA's internal personnel and equipment-procurement policies to allow for quicker and more efficient implementation of new technologies.
Key takeaways sponsored by Aviator Pro | Start Your Training ->
See a mistake? Contact us.
