"Privatization Is NOT Going To Happen In America"

By ANN Correspondent Rob Milford

On the campaign front, Senator John Kerry, the apparent heir to the Democratic presidential nomination, made a stop in Houston last week, taking questions from the crowd at a town hall meeting. Some of those questions centered on aviation.

About midway through the session, a man stood up and identified himself as an air traffic controller assigned to Houston Center, and asked the Senator if he could provide assurance that ATC in the United States would not be privatized, like the Canadian Air Traffic Control system.

Kerry paused for a moment, took a swig from his water bottle, and responded: "I am a long time pilot -- a passionate pilot. I’ve been flying for more than 35 years. I have a commercial and instrument rating, and plenty of experience with the air traffic control system of this nation. I recognize the importance of the FAA and the air traffic control system, and the need for the modernization of the system. I see that we need to improve the technology, but we have the safest system in the world, and I can tell you that privatization is not going to happen in America."

FMI: www.johnkerry.com