The Air Transport Association's President and CEO, James May, has weighed in, aggressively, on Senator Obama's attempt to insert himself into the current contract negotiations between FAA and NATCA.

Herewith, his letter to the Senator...

Dear Senator Obama:

I am writing to you to express our vigorous and absolute opposition to the Federal Aviation Administration Fair Labor Management Dispute Resolution Act of 2006. The current system of bargaining between the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and its employee groups was designed to provide a balanced and fair process for all parties, as well as to protect the interests of the taxpayer. That process should be allowed to proceed without disruptive new legislation.

In order to provide you with additional background, I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to visit with you to discuss the state of the airline industry, and our thoughts about the future needs of the FAA generally, and the air traffic control system in particular. This critical nerve center of the nation's aviation infrastructure has served us well for many decades, but as the volume of commercial, private and cargo flights continues to rapidly grow, it is in need of major changes. In a world of budget deficits where labor costs already account for over 80 percent of the ATC budget, the single biggest challenge to securing the new funding for these technology and system upgrades may be the NATCA contract. Thus, this is more than a labor negotiation: it is a decision with direct impact on the future of American aviation.

While clearly these types of negotiations are never easy for either side, we believe that the parties are addressing the issues in a forthright manner and that a move to undermine these negotiations through binding arbitration is unwarranted and unwise.

Thank you for your consideration of these requests.

Sincerely, James May

FMI: www.air-transport.org