Regarding “Trump turns focus to overhaul of roads, bridges and air traffic” (June 4):
While I have my opinion concerning the soundness of privatizing the air traffic control segment of the Federal Aviation Administration, that is not the thrust of this opinion. Rather, in a response to the rhetoric that accompanied the rollout of that idea, which maligned our present system, I offer the following thoughts.
First, I have spent more than 60 years as a pilot, accumulating over 20,000 flight hours. The air traffic control system we have in the U.S. is not perfect; it needs to continue being improved, and the pace of the improvement is not always at the pace it should be. But what the flying public enjoys in the U.S. is the best air traffic control system on the planet.
The FAA leads in the development of innovative procedures that are more often than not adopted around the world. The FAA handles more traffic and services the busiest airports in the most complex airspace in the world. The employees of the FAA, of which the controllers are but one segment, work tirelessly to move aircraft efficiently and safely throughout the national airspace system.
The next time you are delayed, remember that the first order of business is your safety, followed next by the convenience of air travel. You wouldn’t want it any other way.