How to Fix America’s Broken Air-Traffic Control System
Understaffed and underfunded, the United States’ air-traffic control system is close to its breaking point. The main obstacle to reform is the wealth and influence of private-jet owners, a group that has its own successful lobbying operation focused on retaining access to airport slots and ensuring that fees remain low.
CAMBRIDGE – With air travel finally returning to pre-pandemic levels, this holiday season is expected to be exceptionally hectic. Many passengers, especially in the United States, will face maddening flight delays, and many more will suffer unnecessarily long flying times. But, most worrying of all, at least a few might witness or be involved in frightening airport near-misses.