Capt. Chelsea “Sully” Sullenberger is back with a message for general aviation and rural airport advocates: The fight against the air traffic control spinoff is not over.
The Alliance for Aviation Across America released a video of the captain, made famous by his emergency landing on the Hudson River, reiterating his opposition to a proposal by Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) to move air traffic to the control of a privately-run board.
“One of the main reasons that the big airlines want to control the air traffic control system is they would set the rules of access, they would set the cost of access to our airports,” Sullenberger says in the new 90-second video.
This is the captain’s second such ad; a 30-second spot ran in July.
Shuster’s bill (H.R. 2997) did not have enough support to get a vote in July on the House floor before the August recess, but could still come up for a vote when the House is back in September.
General Aviation groups are stepping up their advocacy efforts in opposition to a proposed air traffic control spin off during the congressional recess, tracking down members in their home districts and states during the August recess.