Revamping the Nation’s Air Traffic Control System

By Chris Adams

Congressional and federal officials working to revamp the nation’s air traffic control system should consider moving it from direct government control into a private, non-profit corporation with government oversight, one aviation expert says.

Robert Poole, director of transportation policy at the Reason Foundation, detailed the pros and cons of such a plan in a NPF session. Such a plan – which he and Reason support – would make the U.S. air traffic control system more like those of other countries. Poole said it would also give the air traffic control system greater flexibility in budgeting and a better chance to modernize its operations.

He pointed reporters to several studies conducted after other countries have moved to such a model, including a 2014 report conducted for the Federal Aviation Administration.

He also detailed the history of air traffic control restructuring proposals, and laid out who supports and opposes a proposal being considered in Congress in 2016.

Other voices and reporting tips on FAA reauthorization legislation can be found here.

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