The plan for privatizing Air Traffic Control in the U.S. was announced on Monday, and is part of the reform goal to repair and update the framework of the ATC.
This is nothing new, as Canada and the U.K have both implemented private air traffic.
The air traffic controllers union, NATCA, is for the idea as long as it remains a non-profit model. They stated that safety and efficiency remain their top priorities moving forward with the changes.
The idea hasn’t been well received by all, and the Federal Aviation Administration has stated that Congress has already approved $7.5 billion for the FAA towards updating the air traffic system.
Democrats have also spoken out with concern saying that privatizing the Air Traffic Control system will give too much power to airlines and show favoritism to larger airports instead of regional carriers and facilities.
One airline in particular is in opposition to the proposal. Delta has spoken out and shown that in Canada and the U.K., costs have skyrocketed. A study shows that costs directly related to ATC are increasing faster than in the U.S.
Delta has also said that besides raising costs, it will hinder any development currently in the works. They believe that instead of changing the whole system, put the FAA to work to update their methods.
Decisions can be made as early as March 31, 2018.
Main photo by moogs , CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Savannah, CC BY-SA 2.0
Caroline Windham is a travel intern and freelance writer out of Athens, Ga.