Editor:
The tragic airliner-helicopter crash in January 2025 and the federal shutdown more recently, as well as outages and staffing shortages in between, have exposed some real problems with our air traffic control system. The question isn’t whether change is necessary — it’s what kind of change actually solves these problems.
Fortunately, this issue is getting the urgent attention it deserves and, for the first time in decades, we have the political will and consensus to solve these problems.
The One Big Beautiful Bill authorized $12.5 billion for modernizing air traffic control and training new controllers. This builds on the FAA’s NextGen programs, which already deliver real benefits. Bipartisan legislation being considered by Congress would ensure controllers are paid during shutdowns.
It is unfortunate that some in Washington cling to a decades-old ideological project of privatizing air traffic control. Other countries that have gone down this route still experience controller shortages, technological outages and revenue shortfalls. Canada, held up as the model for privatization boosters, has been plagued by delays caused by controller shortages, and has seen a slide in safety oversight assessments by the United Nations’ aviation body.
Why would we risk upending the aviation system when the real solutions we need are within reach?
Jon Gandy