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and taxpayers; (3) helps small airports with retaining and developing commercial air service and general aviation; (4) promotes economic development and creates jobs in local communities; (5) connects smaller airports and communities with the national air transportation system, and (6) consistently receives high marks for customer service from aviation users and pilots.
The aviation group leaders who signed the letter are J. Spencer Dickerson, executive director, U.S. Contract Tower Association; Faye Malarkey Black, interim president, Regional Airline Association; Thomas L. Hendricks, CEO and president, National Air Transportation Association; Ed Bolen, president and CEO, National Business Aviation Association; Greg Principato, president, National Association of State Aviation Officials; Kevin M. Burke, president and CEO, Airports Council International; Jennifer Imo, executive director, General Aviation Airport Council; Peter F. Dumont, president, Air Traffic Control Association and Stephen A. Alterman, president, Cargo Airline Association.
facilities and in mitigating the potential impact of tower closures on aviation operations.
The same day, speaking at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s 14th annual Aviation Summit, U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) reiterated his vision of “transformative” change for the FAA, upholding private and/or non-profit air traffic management systems run by other countries as examples. In Shuster’s vision, the new FAA reauthorization bill could create a new air traffic control structure, which would free up the FAA to return its focus to safety.
NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen cautioned about this direction saying that the United States has the most complex and diverse system in the world, and other systems have led to access concerns. “These systems are typically paid through user fees, which require a costly bureaucracy to collect,” Bolen said. “Any new system must be equitable, transparent and preserve general aviation access.”
It’s apparent that the letter was sent to avoid what
happened in 2013, when the FAA threatened to close
149 federal contract towers in order to meet mandated budget-curtailment requirements under the federal
budget sequestration. Aviation leaders were also active
in efforts then to preserve the funding for the contract to be stalled. KA
Airline executives at the summit pushed for a closer look at the international systems and key executives of air traffic management systems touted the benefits of their system. Their thoughts being that until ATC gets out from under the FAA, NextGen will continue
APRIL 2015
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