According to a recent poll the majority of Americans, regardless of gender, political affiliation and age group, strongly oppose privatization of the United States air traffic control system.
The survey was conducted between January 30 and February 5, taking into account 800 randomly selected, likely voters. Global Strategy Group conducted the survey and the Alliance for Aviation Across America paid for it.
Voters surveyed were evenly split on the merits of privatizing government services generally but the ratio of those who oppose air traffic control system privatization to those who do not was more than 2:1. Overall, almost 90% of the surveyed respondents said they had a positive view of the job done by the Federal Aviation Administration in operating the air traffic control system.
This poll should encourage ‘Americans Against Air Traffic Privatization’, who are a coalition of liberal advocacy groups that oppose a move to ATC privatization and who apparently have an online petition signed by 130,000 people that it will deliver to Congress.
Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) a principal of the coalition, who sits on the Republican-controlled House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.stated:
“Americans know that the only so-called innovations that the airlines have made in recent years are corporate consolidations that have resulted in fare increases and the introduction of hidden fees for everything from aisle seats to checked bags to stale coffee. Americans already dread the experience of air travel, and giving the airlines yet more power over the aviation system will not make flying any better or easier.”