The recent government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history, has reignited a longstanding debate over privatizing America’s air traffic control system as thousands of flights faced delays just weeks before the holiday travel season. The disruption has prompted fresh scrutiny of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which employs most air traffic controllers and oversees civil aviation safety in the country.

Diana Furchtgott-Roth, economist and former assistant secretary for research and technology at the Department of Transportation during the first Trump administration, has emerged as a vocal advocate for privatization. “There are no downsides to privatizing,” she told Fox News Digital, arguing that such a move would shield the aviation industry from the impact of government shutdowns.

“Privatization would enable more funds to flow into air traffic control,” said Furchtgott-Roth, who now serves as director of the Center for Energy, Climate and Environment at the Heritage Foundation. “Right now the system depends on Congress for funds. The delays started because the air traffic controllers were not getting paid. If it were private, then payments would not be disrupted by shutdowns.”

Numerous nations worldwide have already implemented privatized or corporatized air traffic control systems. These models typically operate as government-owned corporations or nonprofit entities that don’t rely on taxpayer funding. Canada’s system, NAV Canada, is frequently cited as a successful example that the U.S. could emulate.

Established in 1996, NAV Canada functions as a self-financed, not-for-profit corporation that generates revenue through user fees rather than government appropriations. Its 15-member governing board includes representatives from various aviation sectors, including the Canadian government, commercial carriers, general aviation, and unionized employees.

“Despite America being a bastion of capitalism, we are the only major Western country with a government ATC,” Furchtgott-Roth noted, suggesting that the current system’s inefficiencies stem from government control. She envisions multiple private air traffic control providers operating under government performance standards in a reformed U.S. system.

However, opposition to privatization remains strong from unions and many lawmakers, who emphasize that the U.S. manages the world’s largest and most complex air traffic system. Critics argue that disrupting this established framework could compromise airline safety and shift control to private interests and major airlines at the expense of smaller regional airports and rural communities.

During his first term, President Trump attempted to privatize air traffic control by proposing to remove it from the FAA’s jurisdiction and transfer it to a private corporation. The initiative failed in Congress, facing unified opposition from Democrats and resistance from some Republicans concerned about impacts on rural aviation access.

“Establishing a private ATC board outside the purview of Congress with the unilateral power to collect fees and distribute service would threaten safety, accessibility, affordability and pilot generation – which is already in a critical state,” a group of five Republican senators wrote at the time.

Current Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has indicated privatization is not on his agenda. “I could spend my time the next three and a half years fighting over privatization. I’m not going to do that,” Duffy stated in August. Instead, he’s focusing on recruiting and retaining air traffic controllers to address staffing shortages.

The debate over privatization intensified earlier this year following a deadly collision between an American Airlines flight and an Army helicopter over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., which claimed multiple lives. This tragedy, occurring shortly after Trump’s inauguration as the 47th president, added to existing criticism of the FAA following air traffic staffing shortages and flight delays during the Biden administration.

Beyond the privatization debate, industry leaders have consistently called for modernization of the antiquated air traffic control infrastructure. The Trump administration has touted a $12.5 billion investment under the One Big Beautiful Bill passed in July, which will fund telecommunications equipment upgrades, radar system replacements, and the construction of a new air traffic route control center.

As the aviation industry recovers from the recent shutdown, the discussion about privatization versus modernization within the existing framework will likely continue to shape the future of America’s air traffic control system and the safety and efficiency of its skies.