ATC Privatization

1) Currently the ATC system used in America and in our airspace is one that relies heavily on radar equipment placed in the aircraft as well as around the airports and control towers through the land. This radar technology emits a radio wave that "pings" back to the original emitter once it is received by an aircraft or object. That "ping" has all kinds of information on it that the controller uses to interpret the aircraft's location, size and speed in the area. With that information, a controller guides the aircraft into the airport while avoiding other traffic or obstructions that could be hazardous to the aircraft using vectors for the aircraft to follow. Now in comparison to the proposed idea of NextGen, there are many differences. The first key difference would be that the NextGen technology uses global positioning systems (GPS) to track and guide aircraft. GPS can be thought of as a more accurate and quicker upgrade from the radar system ATC uses today. It starts with the satellites orbiting the Earth that continually broadcast their signal to identify their location; then once a GPS equipped device receives that satellite's signal it transmits it's (the device's) signal back to the satellite for a constant up-to-date positioning on it's location in reference to the satellite. With that constant up-to-date position, NextGen is able to (hypothetically) direct flights equipped with the proper broadcasting and GPS devices to destinations on a more direct route rather than the vectors and jet airways that get used currently under the radar technology.

2) The largest issue general aviation (GA) has with the privatization of ATC is the implementation of user fees. Since ATC would be privatized they would no longer receive funding or be part/considered in the government budget as they are now. The funding then would have to come from users of the ATC system which is anybody and everybody who flies. This kind of user fee puts those in GA at a disadvantage to airlines because airlines have that kind of revenue to pay for continual user fees where a GA pilot or operation may not. Since GA is so broad not all operations in GA generate revenue especially not to the extent of the airlines and these type of user fees could see a reduction in numbers for those who participant in general aviation. This leads to another issue that the GA fears may happen if privatization of ATC becomes a reality and that is that priority may occur with certain air traffic in the airspace, namely the airlines. Under federal ownership the ATC system guarantees equal access for all of its users (Wood 2015).  The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) believes that ATC privatization and the implementation of per-use fees for services could, "penalize the prudent practice of using ATC services like filing for IFR in marginal conditions or receiving VFR advisories" (Wood 2015). Groups like EAA and AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association) are against privatization because they believe that the "current method of collecting revenues through a tax on aviation fuel is not broken" and that "any air traffic system must preserve GA access to airports and airspace on a first-come first-serve basis like we do today." (Wood 2015). Another organization called Airlines for America (A4A) has a different belief on the privatization of ATC. A4A believes that the transition is long overdue and that the radar system we use currently is severely outdated. On a conference call with fellow members and CEOs of major airlines, A4A found that, "separating air traffic control from the FAA would lead to a much more efficient and effective airline operation because and independent ATC organization would operate with long-term funding and governance certainty. The leader of the organization would be incentivized to pursue efficiencies without constraints imposed on government agencies that hamper their ability to operate nimbly and effectively." (Parker 2015).

3) Two countries I was able to find that have nonprofit, privatized ATC are Canada and the United Kingdom. In Canada the organization that controls the air traffic is called Nav Canada and they coordinate the air traffic from 7 area control centres (ACCs) throughout the country (http://www.navcanada.ca/EN/about-us/Pages/what-we-do-atc.aspx). From those 7 control centres, the Canadian airspace is broken up into sections between them and then get broken down further to sections where controllers can monitor the flow of air traffic. As for the way they are governed, NAV Canada has four groups that come to a consensus on the board of directors nominees: commercial air carriers, Government of Canada, business/general aviation, and employees. 4 directors are elected by commercial carriers, 1 by GA/business aviation, 3 from the Government of Canada, and 2 by the employee unions  (http://www.navcanada.ca/EN/about-us/Pages/governance.aspx). In regards to funding, NAV Canada receives its funding from charging airlines and other operators for air traffic control services (user fees). They receive their financing through publicly traded debt like bonds and notes. (http://www.navcanada.ca/EN/about-us/Pages/investor-relations.aspx). The company in the UK that operates the ATC is called NATS and only have two control centres unlike the 7 that are in place in Canada. NATS provide similar services with regards to air traffic control and guidance to aircraft operating within their airspace. The one difference I see from NATS to NAV Canada is that NATS has military air traffic controllers that work alongside them in the Swanwick centre and that they cover an area of the Northern Atlantic from 45 degrees to 61 degrees North latitude (http://www.nats.aero/about-us/what-we-do/our-control-centres/). An issue that NATS has experienced since taking over the air traffic in the UK area is the increase in delay times (5.5 sec in 2014 to 1.4 sec in 2013). There was also a large unexplained system failure in December of 2014 which lead to hundreds of delays and some 300 flight cancellations (http://www.nats.aero/about-us/operational-performance/). A failure of this caliber hasn't occurred since, but it leaves NATS with a questionable reputation and showed how things just don't operate when a system with that much oversight and no outside help goes down.

4) It appears that through the articles and links I have read that the process it would take to get our ATC system privatized comes from Congress. In multiple articles there is always a representative pushing for the pass of some privatization bill whether it be John Mica (R-Fla) or Bill Shuster (R-Pa). These representatives aim to get their legislation passed through the aviation subcommittee in the House and move it up from there (https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/congress-considers-privatizing-the-air-traffic-control-system/2015/03/24/b63a38f4-d23d-11e4-8fce-3941fc548f1c_story.html). The final decision to allow ATC privatization lies on the decision of Congress not on the FAA.

5) I personally don't feel that the privatization of ATC is needed here in the US because we handle a lot more air traffic than the countries that are privatized. Could you imagine if a system failure occurred here like it did with NATS in the UK? Having the government regulate and fund our ATC system ensures that they receive funding and also that things are kept to the standard that the FAA institutes in all areas it oversees. The real issue here isn't the privatization but more so the way our government handles things like this matter that are needing change but never receive it. The bureaucracy that occurs in our government and the personal agendas that are being fulfilled behind closed doors or without public notice are the real issue here.

Works Cited

Call to action issued over ATC privatization. (2015, July 8). Retrieved January 16, 2016, from http://generalaviationnews.com/2015/07/08/call-to-action-issued-over-atc-privatization/

ICYMI: A4A National Media Call on the Need for Modernization and Reform of Nation's Air Traffic Control. (2015, Dec 8). Retrieved January 16, 2016, from http://airlines.org/news/icymi-a4a-national-media-call-on-the-need-for-modernization-and-reform-of-nations-air-traffic-control/

http://www.navcanada.ca/en/Pages/default.aspx

http://www.nats.aero/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/congress-considers-privatizing-the-air-traffic-control-system/2015/03/24/b63a38f4-d23d-11e4-8fce-3941fc548f1c_story.html