In the major policy shift, the largest trade groups in the US aviation industry and some allies are no longer pursuing the privatization of US Air Traffic Control (ATC).
However, the US (A4A) and nearly 20 other lobby groups are currently advocating a massive overhaul of the Federal Aviation Administration and its ATC operations, which will ultimately address the long-standing issues. It's urging.
Some executives have also expressed optimism that President Donald Trump's management will throw weight behind such efforts.
“The Trump administration has committed to investing heavily in improving the overall technology used in the air traffic control system and improving the modernization of the sky,” said Delta Air Lines CEO. Ed Bastian told CBS News on February 19th. “They have pledged to hire an additional controller and… safety investigators.”
Just a few days ago, news that the FAA had fired hundreds of employees was broken in the name of efficiency and cost reductions, part of the wider Trump administration shaking . Critics argue that layoffs cost safety. This is an allegation rejected by Transportation Department's Department of Sean Duffy, who says that “critical safety officers” were not fired.
“I'm not worried about that at all,” Bastian says. “The cuts don't affect us at all.”
Delta's trade group A4A and around 25 other lobby organizations are joining forces to seek a seat at the table as the Trump administration appears poised to roll further on the FAA.
“We don't pursue privatization of US air traffic control services and believe it will be distracting from these necessary investments and reforms,” the group said in a statement. I wrote to lawmakers on February 19th.
Other signatories include the Air Line Pilots Association, the Aircraft Owners and Pilot Association (AOPA), the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) National Business Travel Association (NBAA), and the Air Repair Site Association.
The privatization of the ATC gained momentum under the first Trump administration, with support from the airlines, A4A, NATCA and Trump himself.
Neither A4A nor NATCA responded when asked why they changed their stance. However, Natca says it only supported privatization once in 2017 and 2018. Because the proposal meets all the requirements.
This shift surprised Bob Poole, an advocate for ATC Privacyation, who directs transportation policy at the Libertarian Think Tank Reason Foundation.
Poole suspects that the change could reflect changes in Natca's new leadership and A4A's pending leadership. The group's CEO, Nicolas Cario, is scheduled to retire at the end of the year.
“Emergency Funds”
While privatization is no longer a priority, the aviation group is currently seeking “robust emergency funds” to modernize its ATC systems and hire more controllers, their letter says.
“We need to support the employment and training of the air traffic controllers and deploy and deploy cutting-edge air traffic control facilities and equipment.
It also calls for “budget reform” for the FAA, saying “to begin recapitalizing key infrastructure assets, we need a predictable source of funding through multi-year accounts.”
The FAA receives most of the cash from the Airport & Airways Trust Fund collected from aircraft fuel taxes and fees and taxes paid by airline passengers.
But Congress must allow spending. This means that FAA funding comes sporadically through short-term funding bills. And if Congress fails to pass a new spending law, agents could lose their funds. As a result, critics say the FAA is struggling to invest in long-term modernization projects.
The group has come together as NBAA CEO Ed Bolen said “the entire aviation environment community is united around enhancing the safety and efficiency of our country's air transport system.” I position myself as.
