Cites 2028 Olympics In Los Angeles As A Deadline

The Mayor of San Fernando, CA says that the Air Traffic Control system must be modernized by the time the 2028 Olympics are held in Los Angeles, and thinks that privatization is the best way to accomplish that goal.

San Fernando Mayor Sylvia Ballin wrote in an editorial published in the Los Angeles Daily News that flight delays are a major problem at Los Angeles International Airport (KLAX), and other regional airports are also suffering from delays, mostly caused by an ATC system she describes as "antiquated".

Ballin says that she supports H.R. 2997, the AIRR Act, which includes the privatization of Air Traffic Control, placing it under the auspices of a non-profit corporation and run in the private sector. Mayor Ballin says that such a corporation would "have the ability to manage assets and capital investments in a way that allows far greater speed of technological modernization, which we greatly need in the Los Angeles region."

Mayor Ballin says the region needs to "be prepared to welcome the increase in travelers over the next decade, and preparing to do so will take years." She calls the AIRR act an "historic opportunity to restore America’s role as a leader in ATC technology while enhancing safety, reining in costs and preventing travel delays."

(Image from file)

FMI: Original Editorial