House panel votes to privatize ATC, now on to house

[Cabanaboy]

USA TODAY 7:46 p.m. EST February 11, 2016

WASHINGTON – A House committee approved landmark legislation Thursday to shift air-traffic control from the Federal Aviation Administration to a not-for-profit corporation, in an effort to provide more stable funding and avoid congressional politics.

After more than eight hours of voting on amendments, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved the bill on a 32-26 vote. The bill now goes to the full House and must still be considered by the Senate.

“The FAA’s failure to modernize the system has been well documented,” said Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., the committee chairman who wrote the bill. “With a modern system, we’ll see more effective use of the airspace, more direct routes, increased capacities, shorter flight times, reduced delays and cancellations, and reduced pollution and noise.”

The top Democrat on the panel, Rep. Peter DeFazio of Oregon, proposed to scrap Shuster’s proposal and protect FAA from congressional meddling by making its funding automatic, rather than subject to annual decisions from lawmakers, with an overhaul of personnel and procurement policies. But his amendment was rejected on a 25-34 vote.

“I think fracturing the FAA is a mistake,” DeFazio said.

 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/02/11/house-panel-votes-privatize-air-traffic-control/80234064/#

 

The bill would change the way the system is funded, from current taxes on airlines to a user fee based on the weight and distance of flights.

The bill exempts most of general aviation from the fee changes because those pilots will continue to pay an aviation fuel tax. Business jets that charge customers would pay fees based on weight and distance like airliners, Shuster said.

But some general-aviation groups voiced concerns about the fees and that controllers would favor airliners over the pilots of smaller planes.

The top lawmakers on the Appropriations Committees in the House and Senate oppose the legislation for threatening to eliminate their oversight.

But Shuster said nobody is giving up jurisdiction more than his committee, and the change is necessary to keep the country a leader in aviation.

 

Edited February 12, 2016 by Cabanaboy

[peevee]

once the user fee structure is in place, it'll include GA, only a matter of time.  I look forward to the whining that will come from it.

Also, airlines get 2 seats on the board and GA only one. Guess who's going to be calling the shots? It isn't AOPA.

Edited February 12, 2016 by peevee

[moodychief]

If you recall one of my posts last year, Shuster is bad news for GA as he is in bed with the airlines.  Since he is sleeping with the top lobbyist for the airline industry,and has taken millions of their dollars, he shouldn't even be allowed near any transportation bill.

 

 

[Rustler]

+1

Bill Shuster's blatant "carrying the water" for the airline industry is the at the very core of why folks are so disgusted with politics today. It is educational to do a little research on him to verify for yourself just how deep he is into the pockets of the industry, not to mention the lobbyist he's bedding down.

[N33GG]

It is all about the airlines, military, and business aircraft.  We are just along for the ride.

[MyNameIsNobody]

9 minutes ago, N33GG said:

It is all about the airlines, military, and business aircraft.  We are just along for the ride.

Yup.

[steingar]

I can't believe this would make it through the House.  Why on Earth would they meddle with the best air traffic control system on Earth?

[Marauder]

I can't believe this would make it through the House.  Why on Earth would they meddle with the best air traffic control system on Earth?

Because they are smarter than us?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Cruiser]

maybe so.

There is a crisis coming in ATC as old pros retire. 

[M20F]

Hopefully AOPA earns the money I send them on this one!

[Browncbr1]

According to this article, Delta is the only airline opposing the bill.  It's also interesting how they structured the board so as to monopolize decisions.   This is disgusting.  

 

http://www.newsmax.com/t/newsmax/article/713965

[peevee]

49 minutes ago, Cruiser said:

maybe so.

There is a crisis coming in ATC as old pros retire. 

actually if they chop the retirement there will be a crisis when the young guys go do something else.

 

Without the retirement the job/schedule/day to day BS isn't worth it. I'll just go fly for a regional and start over at the bottom.

Edited February 12, 2016 by peevee

[peevee]

8 minutes ago, M20F said:

Hopefully AOPA earns the money I send them on this one!

I was under the impression AOPA supported it?

Edited February 12, 2016 by peevee

[MyNameIsNobody]

5 hours ago, peevee said:

actually if they chop the retirement there will be a crisis when the young guys go do something else.

 

Without the retirement the job/schedule/day to day BS isn't worth it. I'll just go fly for a regional and start over at the bottom.

Am I missing something?  Is one person talking about Air Traffic Controllers losing retirement benefits with retirement and another talking about carrier pilots?  The privatization of Controllers is a BIG DEAL.  NO, AOPA does NOT support if there is any user fee component for GA.  As they say "Non-Starter"...

[jetdriven]

does anyone remember the complete meltdown when Lockheed Martin took over the FSS?

[Shadrach]

29 minutes ago, jetdriven said:

does anyone remember the complete meltdown when Lockheed Martin took over the FSS?

Yes, it was a mess for a bit but now functions as well as it did before for the most part.  The truth is I almost never speak with a briefer these days. 

[Cabanaboy]

it made it thru committee, still has to go before house.