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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAir traffic control privatization: A risky corporate giveaway that will harm consumers
. . .
Unfortunately, the big airlines are now pushing a risky air traffic control (ATC) privatization scheme that would do just the opposite. Under this proposal, the FAA would hand over control (for free) to an unelected, unaccountable non-profit corporation, likely to be dominated by the airlines themselves. This unwise corporate giveaway would give nearly unchecked power, market domination and private control over a core public asset to big commercial interests at great expense to consumers, local communities and national security.
Americans are familiar with the unpleasant realities of air travel in recent years coinciding with a period of rapid airline consolidation where just four airlines now control nearly 70 percent of the domestic market.
Unsurprisingly, this oligopoly has resulted in record profits for the industry. Unfortunately, those billions in profits have come at consumers expense. Whether it is cramming more passengers into ever smaller spaces, losing baggage, cutting routes to small cities and rural communities, and endless fees ($6.8 billion in 2015); the airlines practices and customer satisfaction surveys demonstrate that passengers often come last. In 2015 alone, the Department of Transportation logged over 20,000 passenger complaints. Now, passengers have to be concerned about being physically assaulted or literally dragged off of their flight. And the biggest shocker? Over 40,000 people are bumped out of their legally purchased seats every year.
And now, the industry wants even more power. Under its ATC modernization plan, a private board would be gifted oversight of air traffic control and all its operations. >>> This would give the airlines nearly limitless power to raise taxes and fees on consumers without any congressional oversight or public accountability which has been a hallmark of our aviation system since its inception. In addition to likelihood of new fees and taxes, access to airports and gates for general aviation and low cost competitors would be driven by the airlines priorities over the common interests of the public who have invested tens of billions into the system.<<<
>>> Maintaining FAA oversight of our air traffic control system is likewise critical for national security. The Department of Defense Policy Board stated that ending the FAA role in managing the ATC system raises serious concerns regarding shared infrastructure with the military given that DOD relies on FAAs command and control capabilities in the execution of the National Defense mission. According to the non-partisan GAO, privatizing air traffic control would also create problems with how the FAA and DOD cooperate on security. Another report raised serious questions about how easily safety roles and responsibilities could be split between a privatized entity and the FAA <<< . . . .
Unfortunately, the big airlines are now pushing a risky air traffic control (ATC) privatization scheme that would do just the opposite. Under this proposal, the FAA would hand over control (for free) to an unelected, unaccountable non-profit corporation, likely to be dominated by the airlines themselves. This unwise corporate giveaway would give nearly unchecked power, market domination and private control over a core public asset to big commercial interests at great expense to consumers, local communities and national security.
Americans are familiar with the unpleasant realities of air travel in recent years coinciding with a period of rapid airline consolidation where just four airlines now control nearly 70 percent of the domestic market.
Unsurprisingly, this oligopoly has resulted in record profits for the industry. Unfortunately, those billions in profits have come at consumers expense. Whether it is cramming more passengers into ever smaller spaces, losing baggage, cutting routes to small cities and rural communities, and endless fees ($6.8 billion in 2015); the airlines practices and customer satisfaction surveys demonstrate that passengers often come last. In 2015 alone, the Department of Transportation logged over 20,000 passenger complaints. Now, passengers have to be concerned about being physically assaulted or literally dragged off of their flight. And the biggest shocker? Over 40,000 people are bumped out of their legally purchased seats every year.
And now, the industry wants even more power. Under its ATC modernization plan, a private board would be gifted oversight of air traffic control and all its operations. >>> This would give the airlines nearly limitless power to raise taxes and fees on consumers without any congressional oversight or public accountability which has been a hallmark of our aviation system since its inception. In addition to likelihood of new fees and taxes, access to airports and gates for general aviation and low cost competitors would be driven by the airlines priorities over the common interests of the public who have invested tens of billions into the system.<<<
>>> Maintaining FAA oversight of our air traffic control system is likewise critical for national security. The Department of Defense Policy Board stated that ending the FAA role in managing the ATC system raises serious concerns regarding shared infrastructure with the military given that DOD relies on FAAs command and control capabilities in the execution of the National Defense mission. According to the non-partisan GAO, privatizing air traffic control would also create problems with how the FAA and DOD cooperate on security. Another report raised serious questions about how easily safety roles and responsibilities could be split between a privatized entity and the FAA <<< . . . .
http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/politics/330635-air-traffic-control-privatization-a-risky-corporate-giveaway
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Air traffic control privatization: A risky corporate giveaway that will harm consumers (Original Post)
CousinIT
Jun 2017
OP
athena
(4,187 posts)1. If air traffic control gets privatized, I'm no longer flying.
I'm not someone who is afraid of flying, but privatizing air traffic control is a terrible idea. This is not an area where we should be cutting costs.
hedda_foil
(16,368 posts)4. You're not alone, Athena.
It's a horrifying idea from any angle but, with Trump calling the shots, our air traffic could wind up being controlled by Unca Pootie.
Runningdawg
(4,494 posts)2. I stopped flying in 1999
now I am grateful I don't live in the flight path of the Tulsa airport.
JHB
(37,128 posts)3. This is a conservative wish list item...
This is where the Movement Conservatives and Bannonites agree, where government "small enough to drown in a bathtub" is on the same page as "deconstructing the administrative state."
It's not about improving anything, it's about ideology, and people will die because of it.
still_one
(91,937 posts)5. Thank you. Excellent perspective of what is at stake