Trump to announce plan to privatize air traffic control: reports
Source: The Hill
President Trump will reportedly introduce a plan on Monday to privatize the air traffic control functions of the Federal Aviation Administration this week as part of a broader push for infrastructure reform.
The Washington Post reports that Trump will instruct Congress to pursue privatizing air traffic control and spin it off into a nonprofit corporation. Trump could send principles for the plan to Congress as early as this week, according to the report.
Trump will be joined by the CEOs of several major airlines as he makes his air traffic control announcement, ABC News reported Sunday evening.
The proposal will come as part of a string of events aimed at getting the Trump administration back on track of fulfilling his campaign promises, especially those related to his $1 trillion infrastructure plan. While Trump’s plan likely won’t come together in a legislative package until later this summer, the administration is expected to unveil details about the plan this week.
Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/336315-trump-to-announce-plan-to-privatize-air-traffic-control-reports
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I am part of the controllers union and I think, of all the bad ideas floating around right now, this is the worst of the worst. NATCA is the only federal union to support it, NATCA is the only aviation union to support it. Why? I have no idea. They will lose a large number of members if they continue to support it. In essence, it split air traffic control off from the FAA and places it into a "not-for-profit" government corporation. Within this corporation is an 11-member Board of Directors, in which the airlines hold 4 seats, with the potential to own up to 7 seats, with the others rounded out with AOPA, NBAA, ALPA and NATCA.
The Corporation will impose user fees for all users of the system, which will essentially kick GA out of the system entirely. As management of all major airlines support this legislation (exception being Delta), it is nothing more than a gift to them. They are looking to kick GA out ("Why should I have to wait 6 minutes for this Cessna to get out of the way when I only need to wait 2 minutes for the Boeing to move?"
NATCA supports this because it does protect our collective bargaining rights, pay, and benefits, but only for 6 years, after which all parties are supposed to come together and analyze how the set-up is working. By that time however, we will be too deep into it to move ATC back into the FAA fold. They took a very short-sighted and myopic approach to their support for this trash heap of a bill. Why? Because in addition to allowing the airlines almost total control of how I do my job, there is also language in the bill that allows this Corporation to "shut down and/or consolidate facilities to meet the needs of the organization". That means that the lower activity towers will be shut down, and the controllers there will be out of a job. NATCA has never explained how they will protect the members that are suddenly in the unemployment line. The leaders at NATCA have never worked at the small facilities, and have no idea the dynamics of how they work. They come from the busier towers and Centers, so their job is safe. Mine on the other hand, would be on the chopping block.
I urge EVERYONE to call their Senator and Congresscritter to voice their opposition to this bill. As of right now, NATCA national leadership does not believe there is enough support in either chamber to get it to pass, but we cannot take that chance.
Rep. Schuster from PA fronted this bill last year. He has admitted to a personal relationship with the head lobbyist of Airlines For America, the lobbying arm of the airline industry. It did not pass last year, but it is expected to be introduced again this year. Go to the House website and search for "H.R. 4441" to get the full details.
Nobody not involved in the 'airline industry' has or ever will have any idea of what this would mean.
It's basically the same thing is doing away with net neutrality.
Airlines have been after GA for years..
And people will actually believe that some A-330 actually has to wait for a Piper Cherokee.. LOL...Well, I suppose it does happen.... prop wash and all...
