Six years ago, I started an article on the Obama Administration proposal to implement user fees on aircraft flying in controlled airspace with the words, "Here we go again." And yes, once again, the specter of ATC Privatization has reared it's ugly head again. While I always knew that privatization would likely be bad for General Aviation, now I've learned that it will likely raise airline ticket prices in the United States! That according to a February 2016 Delta Airlines study, which examined the effects of ATC privatization in Canada and the UK. In their news release, Delta used this subhead: Travelers could have to cover 20-29 percent higher costs if the U.S. moves to a private ATC organization. Sadly, Delta seems to be the only airline not pushing ATC privatization.
I've just spent a full week producing a 2-hour podcast in which Flying Magazine Senior Editor Rob Mark and I sort through over a dozen audio clips from the President, members of Congress, Airline CEOs, and from pilots in other countries that have privatized their air traffic control system. After each clip, we discuss the salient points. We also shared the results of a survey of US pilot podcast listeners on privatizing ATC. You can find and download or privatization podcast episode on Apple iTunes, or listen to it at Aviationnewstalk.com, where you'll also find links in the right column for Android phones and other podcast players.
When you listen to the many reasons proponents give for privatizing ATC, they just don't add up. For example, the Reason Foundation and other proponents have been pushing for ATC privatization for over 20 years, and they've always proposed that a system of user fees be implemented to replace the present fuel taxes used to fund the FAA and ATC. Theoretically, that would vastly reduce the cost paid by a Boeing 747 versus a Cessna 172 using the system, as they both might talk the same amount to ATC, and hence could pay the same amount for ATC services. Moving to a scheme like this effectively shifts much of the cost of ATC from the airlines to general aviation, so it's not surprising most airlines are backing ATC privatization.
So it was shocking that the White House announced a few weeks ago that there would be no user fees under the current proposal to privatize ATC. If the fuel tax is going away, and there are no user fees, who's paying for the system? The whole thing is starting to sound like voodoo math that doesn't add up. More likely, it's just a temporary bone being thrown to General Aviation to try to get our industry on board with this last push to privatize air traffic control.
And that's just what EAA CEO Jack Pelton confirmed in an interview we did for this podcast. When I said, "Yes and coming back to user fees, to me it looks like the people trying to pass it have looked at all of the objections and basically have tried to throw a bone to each of these groups. So the bone to NATCA was we’ll protect your contracts. The bone to general aviation just in the last couple weeks was OK, no user fees. To me it looks like they’re looking to pass it at all costs." Here's Jack's reply:
"That’s exactly what they’re doing. This has gotten to be on the agenda of the administration or of Chairman Shuster. It’s clearly a 'I’ll do anything to get this thing through, and then we’ll let somebody else figure out what they got.' So like you said, they are just saying what do you need, what do you need, what do you need. And I think at the end Chairman Shuster and the White House is saying 'Just get this through and then we’ll figure out what we got after its through and what we how we are going to implement it.'"
Please take time to listen to this podcast episode on ATC Privatization, and then take action by going to govt.eaa.org, where, by entering your name and zip code, you can quickly generate a letter that will be sent to your congressional representatives registering your objection to ATC privatization. Thanks for listening. Now let your voice be heard.
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