American Airlines CE calls for overhaul — but not privatisation — of air traffic control system

American Airlines CE Doug Parker advocated for the nation’s air traffic control system to be turned over to a not-for-profit, but not privatised, allowing the system to receive billions of dollars in bond financing for improvements. “We have an antiquated ATC system that costs Americans lots of time and is much worse than we have in many other parts of the world,” Parker said Friday. Parker and American Airlines have joined Southwest Airlines CE Gary Kelly and other major carrier chiefs in calling for modernisation of the air traffic control system. Parker said that air traffic control operations should be taken outside of the US govt and put into a not-for-profit corporation, which he argued could run the systems more efficiently. The operations would still be regulated by the FAA, he said. <br/>