In a White House announcement Monday Trump enthusiastically endorsed a plan to convert the existing Air Traffic Control Organization into a non-profit corporation governed by stakeholders acting outside of the government. For nearly four decades federal budgetary, acquisition and personnel rules have bedeviled efforts by the Federal Aviation Administration under five presidents to modernize America’s air traffic control systems and procedures. It is a major achievement for the long-suffering proponents of what typically – and misleadingly – is called ATC privatization. The largest union involved, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, supports ATC privatization. How will the FAA, which would continue to have regulatory and oversight responsibility over the new ATC organization, be financed?Will the new ATC organization have to buy existing facilities and equipment from the FAA, or just lease it?

Source: Forbes June 06, 2017 03:56 UTC