Senate Appropriators Reject Air Traffic Control Privatization

The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the Fiscal Year 2018 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development funding bill, providing the Federal Aviation Administration with $16.97 billion in total budgetary resources for the fiscal year beginning on October 1^st. The legislation rejects the Trump Administration’s proposal to privatize the nation’s air traffic control system and provides $1.1 billion for FAA’s Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen), and additional resources to fund airport improvements. The legislation also includes provisions sought by NATA on behalf of the aviation business community. The following is a statement by NATA President Martin Hiller:

“NATA commends Senate Appropriators for rejecting the Trump Administration’s proposal to privatize the nation’s air traffic control system. The Committee-approved legislation continues to demonstrate the lack of necessity for ATC privatization, giving the FAA nearly $900 million more than the Trump Administration requested, including over a billion dollars to support the FAA’s ongoing NextGen modernization program.”

“We also thank the Committee for its inclusion of Senator Jerry Moran’s (R-KS) amendments on behalf of aviation business to enhance Part 135 safety and regulatory consistency. The amendments direct the FAA to determine and collect additional data points to better assess safety trends and identify areas for potential improvement within the on-demand air charter community; and complete work on the top recommendation of the agency’s Regulatory Consistency ARC, an electronic guidance library that eliminates outdated or conflicting policies. NATA and the entire aviation business community is deeply indebted to Senator Moran for his continued support, including his unwavering opposition to ATC privatization,” Hiller continued.

“NATA is also appreciative of Chairmen Cochran (R-MS) and Collins (R-ME) and Ranking Members Leahy (D-VT) and Reed (D-RI) for their ongoing commitment to general aviation. The additional resources the Committee provided the FAA will keep air traffic control modernization on schedule and offer airports the first funding increase for infrastructure in seven years. This is a solid, comprehensive piece of legislation benefiting the entire aviation community, and we look forward to its speedy consideration by the full Senate,” Hiller concluded.