Following the aircraft accident near Washington, D.C., earlier this year, conversations about air traffic control modernization have intensified. As someone who operates multiple businesses and serves as president of York Aviation Operators, I strongly support targeted reforms like expanding controller hiring, upgrading outdated technology, and improving safety systems. However, privatizing the air traffic control system, as some have suggested, would take us in the wrong direction — especially for business aviation operations that support regional economic development.
Our local airports play a vital role in attracting and retaining businesses. When companies can rely on dependable air access, it strengthens our entire regional economy and supports the skilled manufacturing jobs that families depend on. Privatizing air traffic control could shift resources toward major hubs while reducing service and increasing costs for the business aviation operations that connect rural and mid-sized communities to broader markets. Instead, we should focus on practical improvements — better staffing, modernized infrastructure, and enhanced safety — while maintaining public oversight that ensures access for all users.
Pennsylvania’s businesses need a strong, publicly accountable aviation system. Let’s fix what’s broken without compromising the infrastructure that supports our economic competitiveness.
— Timothy R. Tate is president and CEO of Stewart and Tate Construction and president of York Aviation Operators, Inc.