4 ms·

Why can't the ATC adopt a funding model like the USPS so they don't have this problem in the future relying on appropriations. Can they basically charge airline

by s0rce 8y ago

Why can't the ATC adopt a funding model like the USPS so they don't have this problem in the future relying on appropriations. Can they basically charge airlines and other traffic for their services to fund the operations. I'm mostly curious if this is actually realistic.

jamiek88 8y ago
They do. https://www.iata.org/whatwedo/ops-infra/air-traffic-management/Pages/air-traffic-control-charges.aspx https://www.iata.org/whatwedo/ops-infra/air-traffic-manageme... Not sufficient to run cost free though it seems.
dsfyu404ed 8y ago
>Why can't the ATC adopt a funding model like the USPS so they don't have this problem in the future relying on appropriations. Can they basically charge airlines and other traffic for their services to fund the operations. I'm mostly curious if this is actually realistic. I'm not sure if it's economically realistic but it seems politically realistic. The right should be fine with the idea of a government agency being less tax dependent and I'm not sure what problem the left would have with it. The corporate interests should also have no problem with it because it arguably gives them slightly more control (ATCs being less accountable to the .gov for funding them makes them more accountable to customers). I'm not familiar with how ATCs work but on the surface it seems like it could be a win-win-win.
- skosch 8y ago
  > ATCs being less accountable to the .gov for funding them makes them more accountable to customers That's one potential issue right there – would this arrangement put airlines or airports into a position to squeeze concessions out of ATCs that might reduce safety? At the very least, minimum ATC pay would need to be federally regulated.
mikeash 8y ago
Better yet, change the rules so that funding automatically continues at previous levels for all agencies if Congress fails to pass a CR.
ThrustVectoring 8y ago
Is there anything stopping the airlines from agreeing to pay ATC salaries temporarily in order to avoid flight disruption?

by s0rce 8y ago

jamiek88 8y ago

They do. https://www.iata.org/whatwedo/ops-infra/air-traffic-management/Pages/air-traffic-control-charges.aspx https://www.iata.org/whatwedo/ops-infra/air-traffic-manageme... Not sufficient to run cost free though it seems.

dsfyu404ed 8y ago

>Why can't the ATC adopt a funding model like the USPS so they don't have this problem in the future relying on appropriations. Can they basically charge airlines and other traffic for their services to fund the operations. I'm mostly curious if this is actually realistic. I'm not sure if it's economically realistic but it seems politically realistic. The right should be fine with the idea of a government agency being less tax dependent and I'm not sure what problem the left would have with it. The corporate interests should also have no problem with it because it arguably gives them slightly more control (ATCs being less accountable to the .gov for funding them makes them more accountable to customers). I'm not familiar with how ATCs work but on the surface it seems like it could be a win-win-win.

skosch 8y ago
> ATCs being less accountable to the .gov for funding them makes them more accountable to customers That's one potential issue right there – would this arrangement put airlines or airports into a position to squeeze concessions out of ATCs that might reduce safety? At the very least, minimum ATC pay would need to be federally regulated.

mikeash 8y ago

Better yet, change the rules so that funding automatically continues at previous levels for all agencies if Congress fails to pass a CR.

ThrustVectoring 8y ago

Is there anything stopping the airlines from agreeing to pay ATC salaries temporarily in order to avoid flight disruption?