MARCH 2001

Featured Editorial:

Friendly Skies?  What Is the Right Answer on Air-Traffic Control?

by George F. McClure

A new term has entered the lexicon. "Air rage" describes belligerent behavior by passengers toward flight crews that takes place when their flights become subject to unreasonable delays.

The summers of 1999 and 2000 brought record delays. Congressional hearings have been held to discuss passengers’ rights. As air travel continues to expand, it will become necessary to control flights more tightly—while en route, during approaches, and even during airport ground movement.

At the same time, we are reaching the limits of the 1960s technology being used. IEEE Spectrum has reported from time to time on planned air-traffic control upgrades and problems encountered. The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) ambitious Advanced Automation System program that was envisioned two decades ago as the $12 billion answer was canceled in the early 1990s, owing to problems in software development and systems integration that tripled the cost. The task has outlived the responsible contractors; IBM Federal Systems was acquired by Loral, whose FAA software work was acquired by Lockheed Martin.

A plan to incorporate Global Positioning System equipment into air traffic control was delayed, from 1998 to 2002 at the earliest. Australia and New Zealand are already using GPS for oceanic ATC, and have succeeded in reducing both flight delays and fuel costs.

The FAA now contemplates another modernization award—to upgrade computers in its high-altitude air traffic control centers. The 10-year, sole-source program would significantly increase the number of flights that controllers can monitor safely.

Is Privatization the Answer?

The new administration is considering a proposal that would turn over the FAA’s air-traffic control operations responsibility to an independent, nonprofit corporation. User fees would fund the operation of air traffic control privatization. The Office of Management and Budget has asked the Reason Public Policy Institute (RRPI), a leading proponent of air traffic control privatization, to provide details on how it can be done.

A report by RPPI on the subject is available at http://www.rppi.org/ps278central.html. Robert Poole, director of transportation study at RPPI and President Bush’s adviser on transportation issues during the presidential transition, prepared the plan.

"You can’t fix the problem as long as it remains within the bureaucracy, as part of the federal budget, with the agency looking to Congress for directions as opposed to taking directions from its customers," Poole said. The FAA would continue to regulate operations for safety, even though it would no longer be involved in operations.

For and Against

Aviation excise taxes would be replaced by a new fee structure based on plane size and distance traveled. This solution would reduce the cost for smaller airliners. The Air Carrier Association of America, which represents small airlines, favors the proposal.

The new private corporation would have a 15-member board composed of stakeholders—representatives from airlines, private and government aviation, airports, air traffic control personnel, and the general public.

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association opposes privatization. "One new runway at each of the 25 busiest airports in the nation would do more for this country’s aviation needs than 20 years’ worth of Mr. Poole’s reports ever will," said James Carr, president of the Association.

Things Are Fine, Thank You

Jane Garvey, FAA Administrator, responded to criticism of its air traffic control system recently. "The system is not ‘creaky’ or ‘weak,’" she said. "We operate the most robust, complex and sophisticated system in the world, and we do it safely. In the past two years, we have installed state-of-the-art controller displays and have replaced the main processing computer in each of 20 traffic-control centers in the United States.

"In January, one of the most innovative air-traffic technology advancements since the advent of radar began operation in Alaska," Garvey continued. "For the first time anywhere in the world, we are using Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast technology to provide air-traffic services in areas that lack radar coverage. This technology relies on the Global Positioning Satellite system to display aircraft targets to the controller and pilots, and is a central part of our plans for the future.

"The editorial also implied that all delays experienced by passengers are caused by the air-traffic control system. That isn’t the case. Flights that arrived late in 1999 were delayed for a variety of other reasons, including maintenance, crew availability, weather, overscheduling and runway and terminal constraints."

George F. McClure is IEEE-USA's Technology Policy Editor and co-chair of the IEEE-USA Workforce Committee.  He can be reached at g.mcclure@ieee.org.