No Sir, They Don't Like It
The following is a
release issued to ANN by the National Air Traffic Controllers'
Association on efforts to privatize the air traffic control
system (ANN: "AOPA Calls On Congress To Keep ATC A Government
Function" -- July 21, 2003):
Placing politics over aviation safety, the White House has
destroyed the bipartisan-supported measures passed by both the US
House of Representatives and Senate that would have prohibited the
privatization of air traffic control services to the lowest bidder,
according to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.
After both the House and Senate voted overwhelmingly in June to
protect the safety of the air traffic control system -- the world's
safest, largest and most efficient -- the White House waged an
all-out lobbying campaign to reverse the actions taken by Congress
and undermine the will of the American people.
The result was a back-room deal waged by the leaders of the
Congressional conference committee reconciling the Federal Aviation
Administration reauthorization bill -- without debate or
on-the-record accountability -- that would allow the removal of FAA
controllers from 69 air traffic control towers and replace them
with part-time contract employees. While there is an effort to
assuage the concerns of the American people by referring to the
targeted towers as "rural airports," they include towers like Van
Nuys, Calif., the eighth-busiest airport in the country.
"Despite repeated denials that the administration wants to
privatize air traffic control, the conference committee report does
exactly that," National Air Traffic Controllers Association
President John Carr said. "In the wee hours of the night last week,
the conference committee leadership bowed to the pressure of the
White House. It's time for all members of Congress to stand behind
their votes and uphold the safety of our skies."
Amazingly, not even the
chairman of the conference committee, Rep. Don Young (R-AK), favors
privatization. He exempted the air traffic control towers in his
own state from privatization. "Should it only be safe to fly in
Alaska?" Carr asked.
Air traffic control privatization defies both public
opinion and the abysmally poor example set by other countries'
privatized air traffic control systems. Surveys show that more than
70 percent of the American public wants to keep the system in the
hands of the federal government. Privatization has failed miserably
in other countries. Skyrocketing costs abound, while users are
paying more, the private systems are less efficient and
understaffing has led to near accidents in the sky. Additionally,
the US air traffic control system is 74 percent more efficient and
79 percent more productive than the European system, according to a
recent study by Eurocontrol, the air traffic control organization
for the European Union.
"Safety is NATCA's No. 1 priority and we will use all of our
resources over the next six weeks and mobilize all of those who
share our commitment to protect the safety of the flying public,"
Carr said.