Mastio: Privatize air traffic control, escape political drama
As the recent government shutdown begins to wind down, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has warned that it will take weeks for airline traffic to return to normal, further complicating the travel plans of millions who have already faced delays and cancellations. This situation highlights a significant vulnerability in the U.S. air traffic control system, which is heavily reliant on government funding and subject to the political whims of Washington. The article argues that a viable solution lies in privatizing air traffic control, a model that has proven successful in countries like Canada and many others. By transitioning to a non-profit, user-funded corporation, the U.S. could eliminate the chaos associated with government shutdowns and ensure more reliable air traffic management.
The proposal for privatization suggests that funding for air traffic control could be sourced from fees collected from airlines and private aircraft, rather than through unpredictable government appropriations. This shift would not only stabilize funding but also allow for the expansion of training programs for air traffic controllers, addressing the current shortage exacerbated by political battles in Congress. Critics of privatization often express concerns about safety, fearing that profit motives may compromise air traffic management. However, the article counters this by highlighting the successful model of Nav Canada, a non-profit corporation that has maintained safety standards comparable to those of the FAA while effectively modernizing its technology. With Transport Canada overseeing safety regulations, the FAA would still retain ultimate oversight, ensuring that safety remains a top priority.
The article posits that privatization could bridge the divide between political parties: Democrats could ensure strict safety regulations and union protections, while Republicans could advocate for fiscal responsibility and reduced government intervention. With growing public frustration over the recent shutdown, there is potential momentum for legislative change, as several bills aimed at privatizing air traffic control are already in Congress. The author, David Mastio, emphasizes that moving air traffic control out of the political arena could lead to a more efficient and effective system, allowing both travelers and the aviation industry to benefit from a modernized approach free from the disruptions of political strife.
As the government shutdown sputters to a close, the Federal Aviation Administration says that airline traffic will take weeks to get back to normal. That will add to the millions of travelers who have already had their flights delayed, disrupted and even derailed altogether. It doesn’t have to be this way.
Even the socialists in Canada have figured out that a private non-profit can reliably control air traffic better than a government bureaucracy. And with the prospect of another government shutdown just months away, our current system is a glaring vulnerability – a tether to the whims of Washington when the private sector could do it better without all the drama.
Privatizing air traffic control, as Canada and dozens of other nations have successfully done, offers a reasonable path forward. It’s time to remove this essential function from the political crossfire – which has allowed funding to lapse 14 times since 1980 – and entrust it to a non-profit, user-funded corporation.
Privatization would fund air traffic control through fees on airlines and private aircraft — fees already collected but currently funneled through volatile appropriations. No more shutdowns. No more chaos. Moreover, a non-profit corporation would have the freedom to expand training of the air traffic controllers in short supply under a government system that has restricted access to education in parochial political battles in Congress.
Critics on the left fear privatization means corporate greed will compromise safety. They point to for-profit models and conjure images of cost-cutting at the expense of lives. But the proposal isn’t a Wall Street takeover; it’s a non-profit corporation, modeled after Canada’s Nav Canada. Established in 1996, Nav Canada is governed by a board representing airlines, general aviation, unions, and the government. It’s self-funded via service charges, not taxpayer dollars, and has invested billions in modern technology.
Safety? Transport Canada’s oversight ensures standards are similar to FAA benchmarks, with accident rates on par with the US since privatization. The FAA would retain ultimate safety certification and oversight, much as it does with aircraft manufacturers like Boeing. And unions are banned from striking.
Non-profit air traffic control could eliminate the troubling technological incompetence that plagues the FAA’s $25 billion annual budget, much of which funds legacy systems from the 1970s. The NextGen modernization program, planned since 2003, remains mired in delays and cost overruns. It was originally set to be implemented this year, but internal FAA reports show much of it won’t be in place til the 2030s – if then. The FAA’s excuses for this delay are comical. Nav Canada, by contrast, upgraded its radar and satellite systems on time. Some argue we should just take their technology and move it here.
There’s something in this idea for everybody. Democrats secure ironclad safety regulations and union protections that are already working globally. Republicans gain fiscal discipline and a smaller government.
Before the shutdown, Trump’s transportation secretary said this was a no-go for them. “To have a fight about privatization is just going to divide people,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at a press conference earlier this year. “And what that’ll actually do is make sure that we don’t actually build a brand new air traffic control system.”
Nothing could be more popular than getting Donald Trump and Chuck Schumer out of the cockpit. Germany, the United Kingdom and Australia have all already kicked their prime ministers to the curb; we should do the same with our politicians. There’s already several pieces of legislation in Congress to get this done, and public outrage at the shutdown could be just the catalyst we need.
David Mastio is a national columnist for The Kansas City Star and McClatchy/Tribune News Service
Travelers line up for to check their tickets at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago last week. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
