HAI: The Threat to General Aviation Is Real
Helicopter Association International (HAI) opposes the Trump administration’s plan to privatize ATC. We need your help to push back this effort.
On June 5, the Trump administration unveiled its plan to shift the air traffic control (ATC) function of the FAA to a private corporation. User fees are the primary way they plan to finance this new ATC.
U.S. airspace is a national asset we all have a right to use. General aviation currently has (and deserves) a strong voice in the management of this asset through our elected leadership. A privatized ATC will effectively silence our voice.
Add your voice to our efforts to preserve general aviation access.
Here are some talking points to share with your friends, neighbors, and elected representatives about the Trump administration’s misguided plan:
- What problem are we solving?
The U.S. ATC system safely and efficiently manages the world’s busiest airspace. Meanwhile, the proposed solution — ATC privatization — does not treat the stated problem, which is the slow development of NextGen, the FAA’s program for developing and implementing new ATC technology. If anything should be spun off from government control, it should be the NextGen research and development effort. - Who benefits from the proposal?
This proposal to privatize ATC is simply a power grab by the airlines. An airline-dominated board would steer resources and funding away from general aviation — an aviation sector that contributes $219 billion to the national economy and 1.1 million jobs. The 13-member board for the private ATC corporation proposed by the Trump administration reserves one seat for all of general aviation — for now. That seat could be removed in the future, as the proposal specifically points out. - How would this proposal affect U.S. aviation?
The Trump administration’s proposal to privatize ATC would imperil aviation safety; destabilize a successful, world-class system; and would add additional costs in the form of user fees that would be passed on to passengers and customers.
Questions? Please contact the HAI Membership Department at 1-800-435-4976 (within the U.S. and Canada), 1-703-683-4646 or [email protected].
