US: Obama administration hasn't ruled out private air-traffic system

The FAA is reviewing a House Republican plan to spin off the nation’s air-traffic control system to a non-profit corporation and hasn’t rejected the idea. FAA administrator Michael Huerta said the Obama administration hasn’t yet reached a decision on the plan that passed the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Thursday. Huerta said the administration is “open to having a conversation” on the future of air traffic so long as it promotes safety, enhances development of new technology and guarantees long-term funding. “Clearly there is a lot of controversy around it, and so what we are really looking forward is where there might be opportunities to foster not only a consensus among the airlines but a consensus among all the users of the system and a bipartisan consensus on what’s really best for the industry,” he said. <br/>