The National Business Aviation Association has
welcomed strong opposition to proposals for privatizing the nation’s air traffic
control (ATC) system, recently expressed by Capt. Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger,
the pilot who performed a heroic emergency landing of a disabled US Airways
airplane on New York City’s Hudson River in 2009.
"My real issue, and I think for many people,
is that we have a wonderful and unique freedom in this country, this unfettered,
wonderful aviation system that anyone can participate in safely and
efficiently,” Sullenberger told Yahoo Global News Anchor Katie Couric.
“In most countries, it’s either too
restrictive or too expensive for an average person to fly, and the only way you
can go is on an airliner or a military flight,” continued Sullenberger. The
freedom to fly in the U.S. “is something that we need to protect and preserve.
So why in the world would we give the keys to the kingdom to the largest
airlines? Because they definitely have their own agenda - to lower their costs."
NBAA has long had significant concerns with
the notion of privatizing ATC, which would turn over control of the system - a
natural monopoly that currently serves the public’s interest, and is overseen by
the public’s elected representatives in Congress - to a new entity governed by
private interests unaccountable to congressional oversight.
Sullenberger said that pending legislation,
H.R. 2997, would cede power to the commercial airlines “by removing oversight of
the air traffic control system from the FAA and much of the oversight that
Congress currently has and give it to a group of people, stakeholders basically
controlled by the largest airlines, to control access to and pricing of access
to the air traffic control system.
The controversial legislation was introduced
earlier this year by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman
Bill Shuster (R-9-PA) as part of a continuing congressional debate over
reauthorization of funding and programs for the FAA. |
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'Miracle on the Hudson' pilot Capt. Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger.
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"The freedom to fly in the U.S. is something that we
need to protect and preserve" |
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In his interview with Couric, Sullenberger
highlighted the impact that privatization legislation would have on general
aviation.
“You know, most of aviation is not airline
flying. But in terms of total airplanes and numbers of operations, there’s much
besides airline flying that’s important to our economy – general aviation,
noncommercial flying includes corporate aviation, recreational aviation and a
variety of other things that have a great benefit,” he said.
Sullenberger added that he learned to fly more
than 50 years ago. “So I’ve been flying for 44 percent of the entire history of
aviation, and I’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly. I’ve seen what works and
what doesn’t."
NBAA President and CEO
Ed Bolen
welcomed Sullenberger’s comments: “When a hero with a half-century of flying
experience speaks out against privatization, members of Congress should pay
attention,” Bolen said. “We couldn’t agree more with Capt. Sullenberger’s
comments, and we hope they are considered carefully during the FAA
reauthorization debate on Capitol Hill.”
Sullenberger adds his voice to a growing list
of people and groups that have raised concerns about privatizing the ATC system,
including federal and local lawmakers from both parties, organizations on the
political right and left, more than 100 aviation organizations 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 has mobilized the business
aviation community to voice opposition to the bill. On June 23, Bolen issued a
Call to Action urging association members to use NBAA’s online Contact Congress
resource to oppose the bill that Bolen has termed, “the single greatest threat
to the future of general aviation we have faced.”
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. Furthermore, NBAA has introduced a toll-free action line
– 855-265-9002 – to connect association members with their elected
representatives, with a brief list of suggested talking points for callers.
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. NBAA issued
a statement of support following that bill’s June 22 introduction. |