More than 100 general aviation organizations have united in opposition to H.R. 2997, legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives that seeks to privatize the nation’s ATC system.
The controversial proposal was introduced by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) as part of a continuing congressional debate over reauthorization of the FAA, before current funding for the agency expires Sept. 30.
The committee approved the legislation largely along party lines on June 27.
“After a thorough and detailed review of Chairman Shuster’s proposal, H.R. 2997, the AIRR Act of 2017, which would remove our nation’s air traffic control operations from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), we have concluded that these reforms will produce uncertainty and unintended consequences without achieving the desired outcomes,” the groups’ letter reads.
In the letter, the GA advocacy groups also draw a clear distinction between the need to continue aviation system modernization, and the claim that ATC privatization is a necessary step in that process.
“While we enjoy the safest, most efficient air traffic control system in the world, we also believe that reforms, short of privatization, can better the FAA’s need to improve its ability to modernize our system,” the letter continues.
The groups further dispute so-called “protections” in the bill that privatization supporters claim resolve concerns over a private entity’s ability to restrict general aviation access to airports and airspace.
“We have concluded that any structural and governance reforms that require protections for an important sector of users is fundamentally flawed,” the letter pointedly states.
“This coalition, representing the size, significance and diversity of the general aviation community, is the largest to galvanize around any single policy proposal to date,” noted National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) President and CEO Ed Bolen. “The group is sending a loud and clear signal of opposition to ATC privatization that echoes the same position held by other groups on the political left and right, elected officials at the federal and local levels, and a majority of American citizens.”
With H.R. 2997 expected to be considered by the full House before the end of the month, NBAA and other GA groups are mobilizing their members, issuing Calls to Action to urge all to notify their lawmakers to voice opposition to the bill.
GA pilots and enthusiasts can use NBAA’s Contact Congress resource to oppose the bill that Bolen has termed “the single greatest threat to the future of general aviation we have faced.”https://www.nbaa.org/advocacy/contact/
NBAA’s Contact Congress resource also provides a means for social media users to alert their lawmakers to the industry’s opposition to the bill.
NBAA also has introduced a toll-free line – 855-265-9002 – to connect association members with their elected representatives, with a brief list of suggested talking points for callers. Visit Contact Congress to learn more about these initiatives against H.R. 2997.
While a full vote on H.R.2997 looms in the House, the U.S. Senate last month delivered a resounding “no” to the matter in that chamber’s FAA reauthorization bill, S. 1405, which addresses the need for aviation system modernization without calling for ATC privatization.
View the GA groups’ letter about H.R. 2997 here.
I really think that GA and commercial should get together and really brainstorm on this. Something government has no capacity of.
Every part of our lives has been effected by temporary pin head politicians with knee jerk reaction that cost us trillions like the TSA and the DHS for example. I look at this as a possible opportunity without additional cost to improve aviation without costly government intrusion.
There may be market driven methods of financing GA without the intrusive $100 every time a pilot slips the surly bonds of earth. We may even be able to reduce fuel taxes that are extraordinarily high in my view and increase aviation liberty and freedom.
Let’s please think about the possibilities of shucking the bonds of politicians and the unnecessary government bureaucracy we pay for and consider ways we can get what we want and reduce the cost of aviation for now and the future if possible.
It seems private industry always does a better job than government in running systems that effect our lives. Imagine if politicians were in charge of Apple, Microsoft, Boeing, or other companies.
I’ll bite.
Who gets to be on the BOD? How many seats are there?
So, is it one seat for each airline? Ok, what happens if two airlines merge, does the new airline have 2 votes? What happens if a new airline shows up, do they get a seat at the BOD?
Now let’s talk about many of the other users of the airspace in the USofA. Just off the top of my head, most of the following (if not all) are lumped into GA:
[Who represents each of these groups?]
Experimental
GA < 12,500 MTOW
Biz operators with turbine equipment
Balloon operators
Gliders
Agricultural operations
Banner towing
Dirigibles and blimps
Airports
Helicopters
Alaska operations, non-airlines
Float planes
War Birds
Emergency responders
Drone operators
Does all of GA get 1 seat?
You see some issues with this? How will all these users of the airspace have appropriate representation on the BOD?
Let's talk cutting out delays that the airlines face.
Airlines claim they need to be on the BOD because they need to reduce their delays and a modernized ATC will do that. Modernizing ATC will not fix 44% of the airline induced delays (mechanical, scheduling, fueling, crew issues, etc.). That does not include weather, and other issues also beyond ATCs control. So what do the airlines really get by running ATC?
I can think of one: The ability to shut out those who fly in the "commercial airspace".
Please find in the regs where the commercial airspace is. Can't find that? I couldn't either and challenged the airlines and their association on that claim (among others). All this was a big hoopla before 2010 (if I remember correctly) along with GA getting preferential treatment (that is, GA got to take off and land, etc. ahead of the airlines). The majority of my experience is being vectored away from the approach or departure lanes — even though I'm 20 miles out.
How would you like to be vectored around any of the Class B airports by 50NM? Because 30NM is just not enough to keep them from being delayed in departures or arrivals. Or will it be something else?
Let's talk excise taxes. Airlines pay $0.03/gallon for Jet (truncated) unless they get it out of a truck and then they pay the Diesel excise taxes (which they get to file a form to have refunded to them). GA pays something like $0.21/gal for AvGas. I am not sure what the airlines pay for that, or what GA pays for Jet. Note these are all FED Excise Taxes.
We needed that last to get some idea as to how to pay for all the air traffic controllers, and their equipment, training, and "licensing".
9/11 told us that when GA initially was allowed to fly (IFR ONLY), we made up less than 5% of the ATC work load. When everyone was allowed back, it was still less than 10% of the ATC work load. GA now has fewer pilots flying since then (as AOPA about that).
Our costs for running ATC should not exceed 10%. If the airlines monopolize the BOD, how do you propose that gets prevented? How do you propose that the Airlines don't block us out of large areas of air space?
These are just some of the issues that don't get talked about or put into the bills that are presented — at least not that I've been made aware of, and I've been talking with my elected reps.