Reforming Air Traffic Control

Millions of passengers had personal experience this week with the FAA making the air traffic control (ATC) system a political football. Delays piled on delays at major hubs as  Obama tried to make the general public hurt because of a slight decrease in the growth of the Federal budget. The Wall Street Journal makes an eminently sensible proposal in light of this political nonsense - privatize it like 50 other countries have done, ending the political shenanigans and increasing the technology and professionalism of a vital service. Good idea.

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323789704578444793863984384.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop

Canada went private in 1996 and it has worked well. Nav Canada is a non-profit corporation supported by user fees from the airlines. They have upgraded their equipment and provided a first rate ATC system in Canada. 49 other countries around the world have also gone private including Germany, France and Australia. A private organization is paid by its users to do its job efficiently and well. Political entities exist to play politics, especially when the head guy views anything and everything as a political tool.

www.navcanada.ca/NavCanada.asp?Language=en&Content=ContentDefinitionFiles%5CNewsroom%5CBackgrounders%5Cairtrafficservices.xml

Another reason for going private is the chronic inability of the FAA to bring new technology on line. The U.S. ATC system is using technology from the 1950s and early 60s that has been falling further and further behind in its ability to keep up with the modern volume of flights and passengers. New systems are available but it takes organizational ability to smoothly manage the transition and that is something the FAA simply has not demonstrated. Case in point, the agency has been trying for 20+ years to implement a next gen ATC system. It is now a decade late and billions of dollars over budget and still there are no reasonable prospects that it will arrive any time soon. Right now 2025 is the earliest projected date even as new jets are entering service with the airlines now that are fully capable of using the new technology.

www.informationweek.com/government/information-management/problems-plague-faas-nextgen-air-traffic/231900067

The U.S. continues to be a Johnny-come-lately in moving toward Big Government when  Canada and European countries are moving away in key areas because they saw the inefficiencies. Air safety is too important an area to be left to political hacks. It's time to start moving toward a private system whose sole goal is the safe and efficient movement of passengers and planes in America's skies.