The Trump Administration’s efforts to privatize the U.S. air traffic control met with increased opposition from six general aviation industry associations last week.
In a letter sent by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), Helicopter Association International (HAI), National Air Transportation Association (NATA) and National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), the associations touted the support of hundreds of aviation organizations, business leaders, mayors, consumer and agricultural groups, think tanks and a public majority in opposing the plan. They also pointed to previous attempts by Congress to privatize air traffic control — attempts which ultimately failed.
“Instead of focusing precious time and resources on what amounts to nothing more than a distraction to the aviation community, the Administration needs to support a long-term FAA bill, like those passed by the House of Representatives and now pending in the Senate,” the associations wrote. “These bills will take practical and significant steps to address many critical issues like aviation safety, modernization, which includes accelerated advancement of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen), and needed aircraft certification and regulatory reform. Additionally, the Department of Transportation needs to continue with its commitment to the NextGen Advisory Committee, which fosters collaboration in an open and transparent manner and helps advance air traffic control modernization priorities and investments.”
The development of NextGen, they said, would be a much more worthy time commitment than continuing to press for a repeatedly failed proposal.