While Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA) finally found the support he needed to get his FAA reauthorization bill, the 21st Century AIRR Act, passed by the House’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, for which he serves as chairman, it has still been met with a great deal of opposition within the aviation world. In fact, on Tuesday, it was revealed that the House vote on H.R.2997 has been delayed, but it does not mean that the effort to privatize air traffic control is dead.
Video: Rep. Steve Russell Invokes Sully Sullenberger in Opposition to ATC Privatization
Key Takeaways:
- Rep. Shuster's "21st Century AIRR Act" (H.R.2997), which aims to privatize air traffic control (ATC) through a non-profit corporate entity, faces widespread opposition from over 120 aviation groups and has led to a delay in the House vote.
- Prominent aviation safety expert Capt. "Sully" Sullenberger strongly opposes the bill, arguing it's an "extreme solution" to a "political budget problem" that would give major airlines control over access and pricing, compromising safety, access, and equitability.
- Critics warn that privatizing ATC would incur billions in transition costs and could result in taxpayer bailouts, advocating instead for predictable, multi-year funding for the FAA to improve the current system.
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