WASHINGTON D.C. — Yesterday, TechFreedom joined the National Taxpayers Union and 21 other organizations and experts in calling on Congress to include meaningful air traffic control modernization in its upcoming reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration.

Previous attempts by the FAA to implement NextGen air traffic control methods, which include replacing outdated radar tracking with a new GPS system, have repeatedly resulted in delays and increased costs.

The letter states:

Through a new service-providing nonprofit organization governed by all stakeholders in the system, consumers will experience fewer travel delays, the movement of goods will become more efficient, aircraft will burn less fuel, capacity will expand, responsiveness and transparency will improve, political micromanagement will recede, costs will be easier to control and sustain, and the economy could experience tens of billions of dollars in growth. Meanwhile, all facilities and the pilots who depend on them will benefit from speedy technological innovations that the new, non-bureaucratic entity would encourage. Furthermore, the FAA’s focus on regulating overall aviation safety would actually be sharper.

“We cannot allow the modern American economy to be hamstrung by World War II-era technology in our air traffic control system,” said TechFreedom Executive Director Austin Carson. “Congress and the FAA have been unable to make improvements, and it’s clear at this point that their incentives are misaligned with the needs of the people they serve. It’s time for a new approach that will inject accountability and sustainability into the system to improve safety for airlines and reduce delays and cancellations for passengers.”

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We can be reached for comment at media@techfreedom.org. For more on air traffic control modernization, see:

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