ATC Privatization

Privatizing ATC has been a hot topic for some years now, especially after the FAA has had "three decades of empty promises, failed programs and missed deadline" (Boyd 2015).  The question is will privatizing ATC be as effective as it is in other countries? Considering the fact that the United States ATC system is by far the largest and most complex in the world, so expecting to see the same results as Germany or France would be foolish. Even with that being said many airlines want change and that's mainly because they want to reduce their operating costs by cutting down on delays (Smith 2015).

As for the majority for GA pilots we are against the privatization of ATC, for a few reasons. Most importantly if ATC becomes privatized then someone has to pay for it since the federal government is no longer funding it, and that someone will be the users of the system. For example for those of you who has had the opportunity to fly to canada noticed a little bill a few weeks in the mail for using their ATC system known as a "user fee". And that's exactly what GA pilots don't want in a new ATC system.

I believe that the ATC system would be more efficient if it were privatized how ever, I also believe that it will come at the Expense of the user. I can only speak for myself but i certainly don't want to pay any more fees for flying. According to Airline representatives "establishing a federally chartered, nonprofit organization is the best solution to strengthen our nation’s first-rate safety record and allow America’s ATC system to operate more efficiently and with proper governance, funding, and accountability to the stakeholders who use the system—all while reducing costs for system users and delays for passengers" (Smith 2015). I do believe that it's time to change the old ATC system, for an improved and more efficient one. We are playing catch-up with many European countries such as the United Kingdom and France in terms of technology and efficiency. I think that the FAA should still supervise the operation while allowing a Private organization run it, that way the FAA still has an influence on the system, while allowing the ATC system to receive funding when needed. 

Boyd, M. (2015, October 6). Time To Privatize U.S Air Traffic Control. Retrieved December 5, 2015, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeboyd/2015/10/06/time-to-privatize-air-traffic-control-the-right-way/

Smith, E. (2015, September 21). AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL PRIVATIZATION CHATTER FLIES AGAIN. Retrieved December 8, 2015, from http://associationsnow.com/2015/09/air-traffic-control-privatization-chatter-flies/