President Trump is shaking things up with his first budget proposal. Included is one of the largest increases in military spending in decades plus many large cuts to other departments and programs.
One interesting proposal for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is shifting the Air Traffic Control section of the FAA “to an independent, non-governmental organization.” This would mean the federal government giving up day to day control over the personnel managing the civilian and commercial aircraft in the skies over the United States.
The spin-off would render the system “more efficient and innovative while maintaining safety,” the Trump proposal states. “This would benefit the flying public and taxpayers overall.”
“For too long, the federal government has been the impediment in updating our ATC operation to a world-class, state-of-the-art system,” House Transportation Committee under chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) declared. “Like [they do for] any transformative change in Washington, entrenched interest groups will do and say anything to protect their parochial interests. But the facts are not on their side. The President’s budget rejects adherence to the status quo, and I applaud his leadership to disrupt the old way of thinking.” – AINonline
Under the Trump budget the Department of Transportation (DOT) would see a cut of approximately 13 percent. The FAA is part of the DOT organization.
Airline industry trade group, Airlines for America has come out publicly in favor of the Trump proposal.
So what do you all think? Is going towards privatization of ATC a good thing or not?
Featured image by of Donald Trump by Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
