In an analysis on Air Transport World Online, Aaron Karp says not to hold your breath waiting for an FAA reauthorization bill, including major air traffic control (ATC) reform, to pass the US Congress in the next couple of months. “Avoiding a costly partial shutdown of FAA this autumn now seems the best one can […]
ATC
New report says ATC privatization bill swells deficit by $100 billion
A new report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) says the latest Congressional proposal to privatize air traffic control would add to America’s budget deficit by nearly $100 billion. “$100 billion. Really?” asks Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association President Mark Baker. “So here’s how it shapes up: The legislation would hand over the air traffic […]
FAA selects vendor for Colorado Remote Air Traffic Control Tower project
The FAA has selected Searidge Technologies to install, test and certify a Remote Tower System (RTS) at the Northern Colorado Regional Airport (FNL) in Loveland, Colorado. This is one of the initial steps toward the implementation of a test site for NextGen air traffic control technology to increase the efficiency and safety at one of […]
Trump’s ATC overhaul struggles to takeoff
The Hill is reporting that President Trump’s plan to privatize air traffic control is struggling to get off the ground. The post notes that House lawmakers left town for the August recess without voting on the proposal, which is included in legislation to reauthorize the FAA. The plan would transfer the country’s air navigation system […]
GOP Congressmen join in opposing ATC privatization
Five Republican congressmen recently took a stand against a proposal to privatize the nation’s air traffic control (ATC) system. In a July 13 letter sent to U.S. House leaders, the five GOP lawmakers request that any provision for privatizing ATC be withheld from floor consideration. “This request is a result of our deep and multifaceted […]
Study: Remote control towers a better future for smaller airports
Remote air traffic control towers could improve aviation safety and the productivity of air traffic controllers, lower construction and maintenance costs, and help airports in small communities, according to a new report published by think tank Reason Foundation. The study’s author, Stephen Van Beek, a former associate deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation […]
FAA hiring controllers, but staffing crisis remains
WASHINGTON, D.C. – While the FAA is currently accepting applications for entry-level air traffic controller positions, this is just a step toward lessening the current nationwide controller staffing crisis, according to officials with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. They say it will take years of “sustained hiring and successful training” to fully end the crisis. […]
Largest-ever coalition of GA groups tells Congress ‘No’ to ATC privatization
More than 100 general aviation organizations have united in opposition to H.R. 2997, legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives that seeks to privatize the nation’s ATC system. The controversial proposal was introduced by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) as part of a continuing congressional debate over reauthorization of the FAA, before […]
House, Senate introduce competing FAA bills
Transportation committees in the House of Representatives and the Senate introduced two competing bills a day apart to reauthorize the FAA. The House bill includes a plan to spin off ATC to a non-profit corporation controlled by the aviation industry, while the Senate bill does not. Not surprising, GA’s alphabet groups have come out in […]