BySteve Forbes,
Forbes Staff.
The government shutdown created a mess for air travel, which raises the fundamental question: Why is the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system still part of the government?
Thousands of flights were cancelled, and millions of travelers had their plans upended because the government shutdown meant air traffic controllers didn’t get paid. A number of controllers decided that no pay meant no work and stayed off the job. These no-shows hit a system that was already in serious crisis. Even before the shutdown, nearly 90% of control towers across the country were understaffed. The deadly air collision at Reagan National Airport in January and numerous near misses testify to a troubled system. Much of the equipment is obsolete and the technology, woefully outdated.
Last May, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy proposed an ambitious $31.5 billion modernization program to overhaul our shockingly decrepit system over the next three to four years. He requested that the money be provided upfront so that long-term contracting commitments could be made. Congress approved $12.5 billion and was very specific on how the funds were to be spent. The rest of the money would be appropriated, sometime in the future.
