*Administration of Donald J. Trump, 2017 *

**Statement on Principles for Reforming the United States Air Traffic Control System **

*June 5, 2017 *

*Overview *

The United States Air Traffic Control (ATC) system is one of the most important and vibrant elements of our Nation's infrastructure. Every day, the dedicated men and women of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safely and efficiently guide thousands of aircraft to and from their destinations, collectively carrying millions of passengers and tons of cargo. Yet, the FAA's ATC operations are currently mired within a Federal bureaucracy that hinders innovative operations and the timely introduction of new technology. In order to modernize our ATC system, the Administration supports moving the FAA's ATC operations into a new non-governmental entity. This will enable ATC to keep pace with the accelerating rate of change in the aviation industry, including the integration of new entrants such as Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Commercial Space Transports. A more nimble ATC entity will also be able to more quickly and securely implement Next Generation (NextGen) technology, which will reduce aircraft delays and expand the availability of the National Airspace System (NAS) for all users.

ATC reform presents an exciting infrastructure improvement opportunity, and its completion will demonstrate early progress toward much needed infrastructure reform across all sectors. The Administration's principles for reforming ATC will drive legislation that will reduce delays, further improve aviation's leading safety record, protect access to rural communities, and accelerate much needed capital investment. These principles insulate one of our most important national assets from political interferences and the crippling effects of budget uncertainty, while keeping intact FAA's critical safety oversight. Additionally, they preserve essential working relationships and interoperable capabilities with the Department of Defense (DoD), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and law enforcement agencies that are critical to ensuring the safety and security of the Nation.

This proposal demonstrates that the Federal Government does not have to supply all of the resources required to develop and maintain our Nation's vast infrastructure. Often, it simply needs to remove obstacles hindering investment and innovation. The new ATC entity envisioned in these reform principles will be self-sustaining, financed through fees paid by the users of the NAS. These fees will be more efficient and less burdensome than the patchwork of aviation taxes that supports the system today.

The time has come to embrace a bolder vision of what our Nation's ATC system can be and how best to move forward to achieve it. In 2016, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster introduced the Aviation Innovation, Reform, and Reauthorization (AIRR) Act to move ATC from the Government to a not-for-profit, independent entity. The Administration supports the proposed AIRR Act as a good foundation for reforming the ATC system, and believes the legislation can be improved. Accordingly, the Administration supports the enactment of legislation that incorporates the principles detailed in this document.

*The Principles **Safety*: The FAA's appropriate role is the inherently governmental function of safety regulator. Removing ATC operations from the FAA would further this principle, and bring it in line with the recommended practice of the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) and the approach used by the majority of developed aviation states around the world. Aviation safety regulation would remain within the Department of Transportation, and the FAA would migrate to a performance-based framework responsible for providing effective oversight of the new ATC entity.

*National Security*: Protecting our Nation's security is of paramount importance. Accordingly, the new ATC entity must provide airspace access, prioritization, integration, cooperation, navigation, and information management services and support at levels of quality that ensure sustained national security and law enforcement capabilities. This must be done at no cost to the Federal Government. The new entity must develop interoperability plans, procedures, policies, and programs that ensure it can operate effectively, under all circumstances, with DoD. The new entity must also be able to work under DHS control in exigent circumstances involving physical, adversarial, and technological threats and circumstances. The Federal Government would indemnify the new entity for costs incurred in connection with operations that support Federal national security and law enforcement activities.

*Cybersecurity*: The new ATC system must be secure, robust, and resilient. Components will fail, but those failures must not significantly affect the ATC system's ability to provide safe and effective operation at peak capacity. Additionally, as part of our Nation's critical infrastructure, the new ATC system must be able to detect and defeat malicious cyber-based efforts to manipulate or degrade its operations.

*Access*: The new ATC entity must maintain open access for all users of the airspace and, specifically, those in rural communities, general aviation users, and the military.

*Noise*: Efficient use of the airspace requires new technology and efficient air routes. The new ATC entity must have the authority, after seeking public comment, to adjust airspace routes. The proposed route change would only be subject to National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review if the change exceeds the FAA-established noise threshold. The FAA would still be responsible for ensuring—within a reasonable period of time, like 120 days—that any proposed route change does not create a safety hazard. *New Entity*: America's growing aviation system demands a new, independent, non-government organization to operate our Nation's airspace. The new entity should have access to capital markets in order to spur capital investment, technology adoption, and innovation faster, more effectively, and securely. Over the last 20 years, more than 50 countries have already successfully transitioned their ATC operations.

Two members should be selected from the airline list, two members should be selected from the union list, one member should be selected from the general aviation list, one member should be selected from the airport list, and two members should be selected from the Department of Transportation list. Those eight initial Board members would then select a Chief Executive Officer. Those nine Board members would then select four independent Board members. The 13-member Board would be constituted for at least the transition period, plus the first year of operation. After this time, decisions about Board constitution and members' terms should be left to the discretion of the Board. Once the initial Board members are nominated, no group should have an exclusive right to name successor Board members.

NOTE: An original was not available for verification of the content of this statement. *Categories:* Statements by the President : Air traffic control system, reform principles*.*

*Names:* Shuster, William F.

*Subjects:* Aviation : Air traffic control system, modernization efforts; Defense and national security : Cybersecurity :: Strengthening efforts; Transportation : Infrastructure, national, improvement efforts; Transportation, Department of : Aviation Administration, Federal.

*DCPD Number:* DCPD201700379.