The Alliance for Aviation Across America released a video from Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, where he details, in his own words, why we should not hand over control over our air traffic control system to the major airlines who put expedience and cost reduction ahead of the safety.
At a time when the major airlines are squeezing passengers into smaller seats, charging for the use of overhead space, and are a leading contributor to lengthy airport delays, we cannot trust the major airlines to control our nation’s skies.
In an interview last month with Yahoo Global News anchor Katie Couric, Sullenberger said that he is concerned about safety, equitability, and access to the system if it is enacted. He said that privatizing ATC is a political solution to a budget problem, and that the current plan would allow the largest airlines to control access, fees and pricing for the entire industry.
In the video, Sullenberger says that the U.S. air traffic control system is “the best and safest in the world.”
Sullenberger says that the major airlines would set the rules and cost of access to our airports. “We would see emphasis on only the largest airports. Regional and rural airports would probably lose capital funds. That’s really the danger in my mind.”
Sullenberger says that that is needed is oversight of the ATC system by an entity that is most interested in what is right for the country and not the interests of a particular segment of the industry.
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