President Donald Trump, in budget documents released on March 16, indicated that he supports privatizing the nation’s air traffic control system (ATC). ATC is currently managed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and he proposes to shift that responsibility to an independent group governed by a 13-person board of directors comprised of stakeholders representing all [...]
In the last installment (Feb 28th) we described how the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and others at Santa Monica Airport (SMO) had filed a petition in the U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit, asking the court to review the agreement reached in a secret session between the FAA and the City of [...]
As we told you last time (Feb 8), the FAA and the City of Santa Monica announced on January 28 they had reached a compromise agreement on what is to happen with Santa Monica Airport (KSMO). As approved in U.S. District Court on February 3, the deal elicited widespread criticism from both pro- and anti-airport [...]
In what can only be described as a stunning reversal of their position, and a seeming betrayal of airport operators and proponents, the Federal Aviation Administration last week reached an agreement with Santa Monica allowing the city to close the airport on December 31, 2028. In addition, the runway will be reduced to 3,500 feet [...]
Public-Private Partnerships (P3s) are exactly what they sound like – collaborative agreements between public entities and private companies. The joint objective of a P3 is to distribute the cost of a project among numerous stakeholders who all stand to reap the eventual benefits of the project. We previously discussed P3s in the context of their [...]
The world of aviation maintenance technicians (AMTs) is undergoing a fundamental transformation. While there will always be a need for solid, experienced, wrench-turning A&P mechanics to work on the shop floor, MROs, aviation operators, and OEMs are now looking as much at a mechanic’s education credentials as they are his or her experience. There are [...]
The Case for Privatizing Air Traffic Control
In a guest editorial in the March issue of AOPA Pilot, the monthly publication of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, U.S. Representative Bill Shuster (R-PA) laid out his case for privatizing the nation’s air traffic control system (ATC). Rep. Shuster, the Chairman of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee and one of the main [...]