Recently there have been talks concerning moving the responsibilities of the air traffic control system to the private sector. On the surface this proposal seems viable but I submit it would be a costly error to do so.
Air traffic controllers work for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). There are about 27,000 controllers and 12,000 technicians working at over 22,000 airports in the U.S. and its territories. Employees receive training at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City. Each airport has an infrastructure to maintain too, such as radios, navigational aids, radars, etc.
Given the average salary is about $60,000, that puts a price tag of $2.3 billion for personnel only. The infrastructure costs would be about $3 billion. Privatizing this operation would save the government approximately $5 billion. Would our taxes go down? The answer is no.
The private sector is profit-oriented. Would cuts made in order to increase profits affect air traffic safety? The controllers would be free to strike at their whim. Who would replace them since they possess a unique job skills set. The public would be held hostage to their demands.
Finally, who pays for their services? The airlines would. They'd have no option but to pass costs on to the travelers. Airline ticket prices would skyrocket.
I never thought I'd say that we need to leave jobs with the government but considering the alternative I see no option. Now, the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) on the other hand.
