WHAT PRICE - AVIATION SAFETY?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Walter (Wally) Pike at 301-933-6228
July 19, 2002

CONTRACTING OUT FAA FUNCTIONS IS A THREAT TO AVIATION SAFETY.

WASHINGTON, DC - Wednesday, July 17th, in a surprise move, representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) briefed the National Association of Air Traffic Specialists (NAATS) board of directors that the FAA has completed a feasibility study will now do a full study to determine whether Flight Service Station functions (excluding those in Alaska) should be offered up to the lowest bidder. FSS controllers provide pilots with weather and aeronautical data and interpretation before and during a flight to help them make critical decisions.

Walter Pike, NAATS President, called the idea of turning over even part of the FAA's responsibility for aviation safety to a private contractor "ridiculous! The danger is critical decisions will be made for financial reasons not safety. The public has the right to know that the primary concern of those responsible is their safety - not how to cut costs."

"In the wake of the 9/11 tragedies, it is foolish to take a step backwards. Our controllers were instrumental in shutting down the skies over this country and keeping pilots advised of the latest developments. It took the combined efforts of FSS controllers and those in the tower and center options to empty the skies and keep civil aviation on the ground while NSA developed a plan to deal with terrorist threats."

"It is obvious, the agency is simply playing politics with aviation safety. The Alaska representatives in both the House and the Senate are strongly opposed to contracting out these services in a state that relies heavily on aviation for transportation. In reality, the services performed in Alaska are no different from the rest of the country."

"The safety of the skies over our heads is so crucial to every US citizen, that it is inherently a government function. Controllers responsible for providing critical assistance to pilots cannot be saddled with cost considerations when making split second decisions."

"Each pilot's decision affects not only the pilot and passengers, but also every person whose home is beneath the flight path. A wrong decision, based on incomplete data or inaccurate interpretation, can have disastrous results." Mr. Pike concluded: "Privatization has not worked in Europe, Australia or Canada so why would anyone believe it will be anymore successful in the US with significantly more traffic?"

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NAATS represents those controllers working in the Flight Service Stations of the FAA, providing critical weather interpretation and aeronautical information to pilots, assisting pilots in distress, relaying control instructions, and assisting in flight planning. For more information, please visit the NAATS website at www.naats.org

Contact:

Walter Pike, President (301) 933-6228

National Association of Air Traffic Specialists (NAATS)

11303 Amherst Avenue, Suite 4

Wheaton, MD 20902-3902