FREDERICK, MD – The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) is mobilizing its almost 350,000 members and other supporters to write their representatives in Congress asking them to stand up against the 21st Century AIRR Act (H.R. 2997), which was passed by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on June 27 and proposes the privatization of air traffic control.
AOPA President and CEO Mark Baker said, “We’ve faced privatization battles before, but with support from the president and a nearly unified airline assault for control of the nation’s ATC system, now is the time when we must unite to oppose this far-reaching threat.”
FAA funding runs out September 30 and both the House and Senate have proposed plans to keep the agency running. The AIRR Act is now under consideration for a vote in the House.
“It’s important that all our members join us in standing up for general aviation and protecting our freedom to fly. We support modernization, not privatization,” encouraged Baker. “Turning over ATC to a private corporation managed by the airlines will lead to a decline in rural access and will damage GA, as we have seen in every nation that has tried it before.”
AOPA’s call to action letter for members says, “The 21st Century AIRR Act would bring uncertainty and unintended consequences without achieving the desired outcomes. A privatization proposal that requires protections for a large and important segment of aviation (general aviation) is fundamentally flawed.”