…As NATCA Responds

U.S. air traffic controllers handle more than 64 million takeoffs and landings each year, and Cleveland controllers alone handle more operations annually than Canada’s entire privatized system … according to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA). NATCA President John Carr last week spoke out against privatization. “We have the world’s safest, largest and most complex system. Why in the world would we ever dream of changing it?” Carr said. “Risking the public’s safety by putting air traffic control up for sale should never be an option.” The fiscal crunch at the FAA is also raising more fears of user fees. “There is going to be increasing noise about the FAA’s funding difficulties and who pays for what,” said AOPA President Phil Boyer last week. “Our members want a safe and efficient air transportation system. And they want it without user fees.”