NTU's President Pete Sepp commented, "Today the House has taken a major step toward providing long-overdue relief for taxpaying travelers, with the introduction of Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Shuster's legislative blueprint for air traffic control reform. Building upon and strengthening provisions of a bill offered in the last Congress, Chairman Shuster, along with the Administration and Members of the Senate, now have the best opportunity in decades to improve air service without burdening the federal budget to do so. The proven principles of ATC reform outlined today can be implemented here just as successfully as they have around the world.
"Time is of the essence. The FAA's over-budget, behind schedule attempts at modernization, creeping tax burdens on airfares now exceeding 20 percent, and rising costs to economic productivity, all mean that sitting still or making half-hearted changes is unacceptable to the American people. Working with the Administration and their Senate colleagues, House Members can provide the leadership we need to create a nimble user-funded ATC system that rewards innovation and controls costs. This will leave the FAA to concentrate on its appropriate function: safety regulation.
"It's high time to stop the naysaying, start serious conversations about details, and put taxpayers first. The course forward on air traffic control reform is being charted right now and Washington needs to stay on schedule."