Recently, air traffic control privatization has been a growing controversial topic in the aviation industry. On one hand a majority of the major airlines support privatization. While on the other, the general aviation industry is opposing the concept. Additionally, Delta Airlines is opposing, but for different reasons than the general aviation industry.
The GA industry has spoken out against ATC privatization primarily for two points. These points include increased user fees and unequal treatment towards GA. According to Wood, (2015) EAA officials stated that consequences of user-fees would penalize the practice of using ATC services, such as filing IFR in marginal conditions or simply receiving VFR advisories. GA may not be able to use ATC to as full of an extent as they do today. Also, GA is worried that the airlines will get priority treatment over them because they pay more to the system.
Most of the major airlines including American, Alaska, Jet Blue, and Southwest have recently stated that they urge air traffic control privatization. (Jansen, 2015) They believe that privatization would not only stabilize funding, but that a private corporation would work faster than the FAA to modernize equipment and adopt more efficient flight paths. These airlines see would see major savings if new technology was implemented in a timely manner.
Privatization is in other countries including Canada, New Zealand, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The best running privatized system is most likely Canada. Nav Canada's system handles 50 percent more traffic volume then it did before 1996 and it has 25 percent less employees. Also, Nav Canada has developed and sold ATC technologies around the world. (Bachman, 2015)
In order to introduce to privatization it may be a quite complicated process. Currently, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Rep. Bill Shuster is intending to introduce legislation to congress. (Wood, 2015) If passed it would go to the next step of the legal process. Even once through, finding a suitable private corporation that's trained appropriately may be difficult. The US airspace is more complicated and busier than that of others, such as Canada. There is no doubt a long road ahead for privatization.
Personally, I believe that the current FAA implemented ATC system is working quite well. Reform may be needed so that new technology, such as NextGen comes to fruition more quickly, but the FAA provides a great service to all areas of the aviation industry equally. The costs and problems that may arise from privatization are not worth the end result. Also, all the effort the FAA has put in to NextGen could be wasted. Finally, Delta's planes arrived with in 15 minutes of there scheduled arrival 92.1% of the time over this Thanksgiving season. (Jansen, 2015) This shows the current efficiency of the FAA. Many of these reasons are why Delta Airlines does not support ATC privatization and neither do I.
Most of the major airlines including American, Alaska, Jet Blue, and Southwest have recently stated that they urge air traffic control privatization. (Jansen, 2015) They believe that privatization would not only stabilize funding, but that a private corporation would work faster than the FAA to modernize equipment and adopt more efficient flight paths. These airlines see would see major savings if new technology was implemented in a timely manner.
Privatization is in other countries including Canada, New Zealand, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The best running privatized system is most likely Canada. Nav Canada's system handles 50 percent more traffic volume then it did before 1996 and it has 25 percent less employees. Also, Nav Canada has developed and sold ATC technologies around the world. (Bachman, 2015)
In order to introduce to privatization it may be a quite complicated process. Currently, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Rep. Bill Shuster is intending to introduce legislation to congress. (Wood, 2015) If passed it would go to the next step of the legal process. Even once through, finding a suitable private corporation that's trained appropriately may be difficult. The US airspace is more complicated and busier than that of others, such as Canada. There is no doubt a long road ahead for privatization.
Personally, I believe that the current FAA implemented ATC system is working quite well. Reform may be needed so that new technology, such as NextGen comes to fruition more quickly, but the FAA provides a great service to all areas of the aviation industry equally. The costs and problems that may arise from privatization are not worth the end result. Also, all the effort the FAA has put in to NextGen could be wasted. Finally, Delta's planes arrived with in 15 minutes of there scheduled arrival 92.1% of the time over this Thanksgiving season. (Jansen, 2015) This shows the current efficiency of the FAA. Many of these reasons are why Delta Airlines does not support ATC privatization and neither do I.
References:
Wood, J. (2015, July 8). Call to action issued over ATC privatization. General Aviation News. Retrieved from http://generalaviationnews.com/2015/07/08/call-to-action-issued-over-atc-privatization/
Jansen, B. (2015, December 2). Airline executives urge privatization of air-traffic control. USA Today. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/12/01/airline-executives-urge-privatization-air-traffic-control/76604766/
Bachman, J. (2015, September 11). Should the U.S. privatize air-traffic control? Bloomberg Business. Retrieved from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-11/should-the-u-s-privatize-air-traffic-control-
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