Following House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster’s (R-PA) introduction of a sweeping aviation reform bill, National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) President Paul Rinaldi recently issued a statement in support of the legislation.
The bill, the 21st Century Aviation Innovation, Reform, and Reauthorization (AIRR) Act, targets streamlining the Federal Aviation Administration’s certification process for aircraft and aviation products and improving the safety of air travel. It also would privatize the air traffic control service by separating it from the federal government in an effort to modernize the system.
“After extremely careful review, consideration, and deliberation, we have decided to support the bill because it fully aligns with NATCA’s policies, practices, and core principles,” Rinaldi said. “We made sure that we clearly understood how this bill would protect the National Airspace System (NAS) and allow it to continue to grow, as well as how it would protect the men and women who are the backbone of the system. This bill protects our workforce – including pay, benefits, retirement, and collective bargaining rights.”
Rinaldi said that the main goal of NATCA is providing stable, predictable funding to operate and improve the NAS. In order to gain NATCA support, all air traffic control reform legislation must, at a minimum, meet the Union’s Four Core Principles of Reform.
First, the measure must aim to protect those who ensure the safety and efficiency of the NAS through their employment. Second, it must maintain safety and efficiency as the top priorities. Third, it must provide a stable, predictable funding stream that sufficiently supports air traffic control services, staffing, hiring and training, long-term modernization, and preventative maintenance. Fourth, the legislation must ensure that the nation’s diverse aviation community is met with continued service across all segments.