Will Travel To Canada Later This Week

Representatives of the Trump administration and some members of Congress will be traveling to Canada later this week to study that country's privatized Air Traffic Control system.

The Hill reports that Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and Representative Bill Shuster (R-PA), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, will be leading the delegation that will travel to Ottawa on Thursday and Friday.

The Canadian Department of Transport couches the trip as a "fact-finding" mission.

Canada's minister of Transport Marc Garneau told the Hill last month that while Canada is not trying to influence a U.S. decision on privatizing ATC, a "more harmonious" system would be beneficial, and that Canada would be very willing "to assist in any way we can."

President Donald Trump last month publicly endorsed spinning off ATC to a private, non-profit corporation that would still have FAA oversight but run the system independent of the agency.

Shuster said the still needs to sit down with White House officials to get a complete picture of the administration's vision for air traffic control. But it is looking more likely that it will be a centerpiece of the upcoming FAA reauthorization debate later this year.

(Image from file)

FMI: www.dot.gov