VIRGINIA - On Monday, June 5, the Trump administration announced its support for privatizing U.S. air traffic control as part of a broader initiative to bolster U.S. infrastructure. Greeley Koch, executive director of the Association of Corporate Travel Executives, issued the following statement:
“This proposal is welcome relief for the business travel community if this is what it takes to move the needle on the NextGen Air Transportation System in the United States. The wait for NextGen has been a slow, painful slog that has long hampered business travelers and tourists alike as U.S. airlines remain shackled to antiquated technologies like radar and radio. If we had to wait this long for next-gen phones, we’d still be using rotary dials and party lines.
“That said, we need more detail surrounding how this proposal will practically impact the air travel industry. How the transition occurs and how the United States will work to avoid the problems seen in other countries that have implemented similar measures, such as numerous work stoppages that cripple travel, will be important questions for the government to answer in the near future. It’s time to move from talk to action.”
