Airspace System Scrutinized
The House Aviation Subcommittee last Wednesday held a hearing on the commercialization of air traffic services, saying the FAA is now in crisis and at a “crossroads.” The FAA has failed to meet schedules and deploy new technology despite billions of dollars in spending, the committee said. At least 30 other countries have switched from government services to private providers. The committee heard testimony from representatives of Nav Canada and a German air-traffic agency, but noted that in terms of operational scale and airspace complexity it is difficult to compare the U.S. National Airspace System and foreign systems. The United States has about 60 percent of the world’s air traffic activity.
