Bush Air Traffic Plan Would Raise Costs
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
WASHINGTON — The Bush administration’s long-awaited plan to pay for a new, high-tech air traffic control system would eliminate the passenger ticket tax but raise other costs for people who fly.
The Federal Aviation Administration unveiled its proposal yesterday. The announcement touches off a fierce debate between airlines, which support the concept, and owners of corporate jets and private aircraft, who will pay more to fly in the national air space.
The FAA administrator, Marion Blakey, who outlined the plan in recent budget briefings, says the aging air traffic control system urgently needs replacing to avoid gridlock in the sky.
The World War II-era radar-and-radio system is becoming obsolete as new digital technology provides pilots with satellite signals to aid in navigation.
