WASHINGTON, DC – In a September 8, 2015 letter to the Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, Senator John Thune (R-SD), South Dakota aviation businesses expressed opposition to using the upcoming FAA reauthorization legislation to create a user-fee funded air traffic control corporation, stating, “It will undermine the National Air Transportation System by denying rural America access to cutting-edge technology and hinder South Dakota’s economic development.”
The letter concluded by stating, “The upcoming FAA reauthorization presents many opportunities to improve operations at the FAA and make it easier for aviation businesses to interact with the agency. However, separating air traffic control from the agency’s regulatory functions risks undermining aviation safety, jobs, and investment for all South Dakotans.”
The letter to Senator Thune follows a briefing with South Dakota businesses by NATA President Tom Hendricks on the status of FAA reauthorization.