The Real Deal Or NATCA Politics At Play?

As the campaigning for the White house intensifies, so does the mix of political and industry issues. On Wednesday, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) gave its full support to Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign, declaring Senator Kerry as the candidate "who will ensure that the safety of the flying public never takes a back seat to political ideology or special interests."

Mind you, NATCA seems to be basing their endorsement, in part, on a largely unsuccessful fight they waged last year over a situation that (technically) didn't exist -- namely FAA's so-called attempt to privatize ATC based on the decision to designate a small number of control towers to be operated under private contract. NATCA tried to make this a safety issue and despite being corrected by organizations such as AOPA and the FAA itself, they maintained that their opposition was NOT self-serving, but solely in the interests of safety. Few industry pundits accepted this characterization at face value.

"Air traffic controllers are both Republicans and Democrats, but when it comes to aviation safety, we support any elected official who is truly committed to making sure the flying public comes first," NATCA President John Carr said. "We represent more than 15,000 dedicated FAA employees who work each and every day to guide America home safely.  As public servants, we would be proud to have Senator Kerry as our commander-in-chief and we will do all we can to support his campaign."
 
In a letter to NATCA President John Carr, Senator Kerry stated, "I have been disappointed with the Bush Administration's systematic plans to diminish our air traffic control system. They have sought to privatize air traffic control services. They are currently seeking to slash the budget for modernization of air traffic control technologies. And they have taken a position of malign neglect toward the looming retirement crisis that will devastate staffing of air traffic control facilities throughout the country in the next few years."

Senator Kerry also pledged that "we will restore the partnership between the FAA and the air traffic controllers that is essential to true progress in the important task of keeping our skies safe." Senator Kerry asserted that the Bush Administration has "squandered the good will that existed between the FAA and air traffic controllers in the previous administration, a period of unprecedented progress in the modernization of air traffic control."

Kerry has yet to describe his intentions on the much-debated user fees issue or other concerns affecting the general aviation community. 

FMI: www.natca.org