A coalition of groups representing elements of the U.S. aviation and aerospace industries sent a letter on Wednesday urging Congress to support efforts to modernize the nation’s air traffic control (ATC) system in the wake of deadly aviation accidents.
“As representatives from our nation’s aviation sector, we are united in our grief over recent aviation accidents and our commitment to making sure that accidents like these never happen again,” the coalition of groups wrote.
“To maintain a best-in-class ATC system that is globally competitive, it is our unified objective to work with the U.S. Congress and the Administration to find common ground to ensure the operational safety and efficiency of the National Airspace System (NAS),” they said. “To achieve this, we must support air traffic controller workforce hiring and training, implement procurement and program efficiencies and facility realignment, and address budget reforms for the Airport & Airway Trust Fund (AATF).”
The groups added that they “are aligned on not pursuing privatization of U.S. air traffic control services and believe it would be a distraction from these needed investments and reforms.”
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The coalition’s letter listed several priorities for Congress to provide emergency funding for critical ATC technology and infrastructure along with controller staffing and training.
It also asked Congress to provide direction for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to divest legacy NAS elements prudently and use new procurement methods to deploy state-of-the-art technology.
The letter called for additional financial mechanisms to effectively use AATF balances to enhance safety in the air and on the ground, such as multiyear budgeting.
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The group’s outreach to Congress comes in the wake of the first fatal commercial aviation accident in over 15 years. The tragedy occurred on Jan. 29 when a regional jet collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter while on approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport near Washington, D.C. A combined 67 people were killed.
Another incident occurred on Monday at the Toronto Pearson International Airport when a regional jet crashed and rolled over while landing. There were no fatalities in the crash, though 21 travelers were taken to the hospital.
