CEI Report: House Air Traffic Control Plan Seeks Big Improvements for Travelers

Today, the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) released two reports by transportation policy expert Marc Scribner on a just-launched House plan to reform America’s outdated air traffic control system.

The 21^st Century Aviation Innovation, Reform, and Reauthorization (21^st Century AIRR) Act introduced today by the chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), offers the most significant aviation reform of the past 40 years. The CEI reports discuss the need for such reform, the proposed new management structure for air traffic control, and the future of labor-management relations.

“We applaud Chairman Shuster’s leadership on this important issue,” said CEI Senior Fellow Marc Scribner. “If enacted, these reforms will allow U.S. air traffic control to finally enter the 21st century, resulting in shorter flights, fewer delays and cancellations, and lower airfares for travelers.”

The FAA has been attempting to implement a much-needed 21st century modernization, known as the Next Generation Air Transportation System, or NextGen, with little success and massive cost overruns and delays. Government audit reports confirm big problems with ongoing federal modernization efforts. Adopting proven international best practices in air traffic management will preserve U.S. leadership in aviation, the CEI reports argue.

• Report: Air Traffic Control Reform 2017: FAQ by CEI’s Marc Scribner
• Report: Dispelling Six Myths on Air Traffic Control Reform and Labor Relations by CEI’s Marc Scribner
• Blog post: Reforming Air Traffic Control with the 21st Century AIRR Act by CEI’s Marc Scribner