The way I see it, this proposed legis- lation, to privatize our air transportation system, would impact flying and access at our local airport and negatively affect our aviation system as a whole.
Our airport serves an important role in our community. We facilitate training for pilots at Vance Air Force Base; sup- port for several businesses in the local area as well as those visiting Enid; law enforcement; medical evacuations; as well as a port for our local general avia- tion enthusiasts.
Based on a recent economic study, Woodring’s existence has a total eco- nomic affect of $29,000,000 to the local area per year.
1) A substantial cost reduction; or 2) To increase the efficiency of our current system—but it does neither.
This move would, in fact, increase cost substantially. According to the non-par- tisan Congressional Budget Office, this bill will cost nearly $100 billion over the next 10 years. Furthermore, if you compare the cost of the system withthe Canadian system, which is the most common example given by privatiza- tion advocates as the model we should follow, our current system in the United States is actually less expensive by eight cents per mile.
Secondly, this move would not have a positive effect on our efficiency. The reality is that about 80% of the current delays in air travel are currently either caused by the weather or the airlines themselves. The ongoing upgrade to the newer GPS based ATC system, NEXTGEN is already making our sys- tem more efficient.
At the “end of the day” this proposal does not affect a cost savings nor does it make the system more efficient. Therefore I believe should be abandoned.
As a side note, I am happy to see Rep. Steve Russell and Senator Inhofe lead the charge in opposing this legislation. Our skies are a valuable public resource and one we should continue to prioritize.