The Trump administration released its first federal budget proposal on March 16, for the first time revealing its support for calls to restructure the FAA by creating a separate entity to manage air traffic control.
The budget proposal seeks to shift the FAA’s responsibility for the nation’s ATC system “to an independent, non-governmental organization,” language that approximates what House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pennsylvania) proposed but failed to advance through reauthorization legislation last year. 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.”
Offering a prelude to the coming battle in Congress, Shuster hailed the proposed ATC spin-off. “For too long, the federal government has been the impediment in updating our ATC operation to a world-class, state-of-the-art system,” Shuster 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 House Transportation Committee’s ranking Democrat, Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon), decried the Trump administration’s “Skinny Budget,” saying, “For the last two years, opponents of this short-sighted plan have raised serious concerns about …ATC privatization. Proponents have failed to answer any of the serious questions we have raised.”
Business aviation groups remain strongly opposed to the proposal. “NATA is disappointed the budget blueprint contains language to explore corporatizing air traffic control. We believe Transportation Secretary Chao’s call during her confirmation hearing for national dialogue and consensus is a more appropriate way to approach this issue,” said NATA president Martin Hiller.
NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen reiterated his opposition and warnings that general aviation operators “could have their access to airports and airspace threatened.”
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