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A Republican-controlled House committee on Thursday endorsed a bill that would wrest responsibility for running the nation's air traffic control system from the government and turn it over to a private, nonprofit corporation run by airlines and other aviation interests.
A Republican-controlled House committee on Thursday endorsed a bill that would wrest responsibility for running the nation's air traffic control system from the government and turn it over to a private, nonprofit corporation run by airlines and other aviation interests.
Yet another example of the fetishization of private ownership. The public airspace should not be managed by private entities. If ever there was a role for which government is intended and proper, that is it.
I would see nothing but trouble (big trouble) coming from the privatization of the traffic controller. If privatized it would go to the lowest bidder, and then to make it worse they’d offshore the control rooms for even cheaper labor.
Not that I want it to happen, I like the FAA doing ATC, I'm a private pilot, and would be scary with Airline Controlled ATC, (The current proposal)
But... Canada, UK, Most of EuroControl (probably others) , has Private, or quasi Government corporation (like the USPS) doing ATC. None of them have outsourced the controllers to some off-shore location.
In the US FAA has allowed Contract Control Towers for years, If a airport wants a active control tower, but does not have the traffic volume to warrant the FAA to staff one. They can hire (a company to provide) ATC services, to that airport, The controllers have the same level of certification that the FAA controllers do, But work for the airport.
Smaller airports that want Airline service (Part 121) need to have a open tower, The MainLine Airlines will not fly into a "Uncontrolled" airport, They will allow there Part 135 small commuter type airplane fly into a "Uncontrolled" airport.
- Uncontrolled does not mean free for all. FAA does the control into the area around the airport, and the pilots self announce, and follow a rule set to land at a airport with out a active control tower.
"Tower to Delta flight 1212, you did not pay your monthly dues, please land in the grass field you can see about 3 miles to the west of runway 12. Thanks and have a good day."
How ironic that those other great (i.e. socialist) countries that the Democrats always idolize are moving toward privatization faster than the U.S. Also ironic is the claim by Democrats that this would be a "giveaway", apparantly a claim that the government makes a profit from ATC, which is laughable and probably the reason Delta doesn't want to inherit the mess. And the claim by the Democrat in the article (DeFazio) that smaller seats are unsafe because they don't allow enough time for evacuation is completely false. When an airline puts in the smallers seats, they have to perform the same FAA-observed evacuation drill as they did with the seats they are replacing. The one thing I agree with DeFazio on is that Lithium batteries should be banned. They have caused fires, contrary to what the article claims. If there is a "2012 law that prevents the FAA from issuing a law more stringent than ICAO", it should be abolished, #1 because it is already not being complied with and #2 we should not reliquish our sovereignty to other nations. I'd be curious to know who (D or R) passed this bill.
I think privitization is a great idea. ATC at larger airports would be paid for by the airlines serving them. Smaller airports without airline service would use user fees or registration fees of general aviation planes and be managed by the municipality that runs the airport.
The private controllers would still be certified under federal law, just like airline pilots are. So there would be no concern about safety. They would still control planes under the same government regulations. And if people think that the current ATC doesn't already give preference to their "sister" airline, try getting into Baltimore ahead of Southwest.
New surcharges...yeah, people who use the system should pay for it...what a concept! I suppose we should make the top 1% pay for it?
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