AOPA, NBAA respond to 'Washington Post' editorial

The Washington Post editorial blamed the corporate-jet and private-airplane lobbies for the pushback on the proposed legislation, but when it comes to the facts, the editorial got it wrong.

“The truth is, this ATC giveaway alarmed lawmakers from both parties, mayors in every state, think tanks on the left and right, consumer and passenger groups, more than 200 aviation organizations, the majority of the American public and independent government watchdogs, like the Congressional Budget Office, the Congressional Research Service and the Government Accountability Office,” AOPA President Mark Baker and NBAA President Ed Bolen wrote in a letter to the editor.

In the letter, AOPA and NBAA wrote that the reason for such widespread opposition was simple: “It would replace congressional oversight of the nation’s aviation system with a board, effectively dominated by the airlines, and unaccountable to Congress. The group would have authority to target resources toward the large airline hubs and make self-serving decisions.”

The Washington Post editorial also suggested that the proposed legislation could have made air travel more efficient by clearing more room in the skies and at airports for airlines, a statement AOPA and NBAA called "way off base."

“General aviation makes up less than 1 percent of traffic at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport and O'Hare International Airport in Chicago and less than 2 percent at LaGuardia Airport in New York,” wrote AOPA and NBAA.

Despite a mischaracterization of the legislation by The Washington Post, H.R.4, minus the controversial ATC provision, sailed through the House with a 393-to-13 bipartisan vote—a victory for all aviation and GA.