As a small business owner, I definitely have an opinion on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s draft FAA reauthorization legislation, which is being called the Aviation Innovation, Reform, and Reauthorization (AIRR) Act. This bill proposes some streamlined FAA certification processes, which are needed in the worse way to keep American businesses competitive. The bill also addresses safety concerns, modernization and the integration of unmanned aerial vehicles into the national aviation system. The most controversial piece of proposed legislation in the bill calls for privatized air traffic operations.
From my perspective, pulling Air Traffic Control out of the FAA may prove to be very detrimental to my company and those of my small and mid-sized business clients. As a Republican, I am a huge believer in shrinking our federal government, but as a frequent user of airspace, I have hesitations about radically changing a program that is the busiest and one of the safest in the world. I believe it will slow down rather than accelerate the adoption of Next Gen technologies and safety measures necessary for the coming masses of unmanned aerial vehicles.
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The proposed funding of ATC by collecting user fees—unless piston-powered aircraft are exempted and UAVs are charged—will hurt the growth of thousands of small businesses that depend on general aviation for their livelihood—energy companies, traveling medical practices, aircraft maintenance shops, and many, many others.
Additionally, and most importantly, I feel that by having an independent corporation in charge of the airspace, General Aviation may be underrepresented and thus deprioritized. I’d hate for commercial airliners to have take-off and landing priority over private aircraft, which is exactly what the airlines want. I’d hate for municipal airports vital to their local, small communities to be slighted in receiving funds and safety improvements. And I’d hate for the US to move backward instead of forward in regard to free public airspace (like China).
I hope that as Congress considers this legislation, its members are fully aware that creating a privatized air traffic control may be moving toward taxation and limitations without representation for the little guys in the airspace—those interested in becoming the pilots and general aviation entrepreneurs of the future. General aviation is vital to job and economic growth in the United States, contributing more than $150 billion to the nation’s annual economic output.
Get involved! NBAA has a form you can fill out to submit to your Congressman, or you can pick up the phone and call him or her directly.