Captain Sully calmly shoots down Trump's plan to privatize air traffic control
Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, who successfully landed an airplane in the Hudson River after it lost both engines in 2009, has spoken out against efforts to privatize air traffic control, The Associated Press reports.
Air traffic control privatization is being pushed by President Trump, but is opposed by many Democrats as well as a handful of Republicans, including Rep. Steve Russell (R-Okla.). "No man was better [than Sullenberger] when it came to safety standards," Russell said. "And then he demonstrated it that day, that he knew what he was talking about. I think we need to take pause, and take a step back, and listen."
Sullenberger pointed out that there have been no fatal commercial airline crashes in America in eight years. "The FAA is not broken," he said. "What this proposal does is take an extreme solution to a non-problem."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Supporters of privatization claim the bill would allow the FAA to modernize, save money, and ultimately reduce airport delays. Other countries, including Canada and Great Britain, already have privatized air traffic control.
Sullenberger argued that instead, privatization would put profit concerns over an attention to safety. "It gives the keys of the kingdom to the four largest airlines," he said. "I can guarantee you the four largest airlines don't always have the interests of the traveling public in mind."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Earth's mini-moon was the moon all along
Under the radar More lunar rocks are likely floating in space
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: February 4, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku medium: February 4, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocks
Speed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor deal
Speed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden expected to block Japanese bid for US Steel
Speed Read The president is blocking the $14 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel, citing national security concerns
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Judges block $25B Kroger-Albertsons merger
Speed Read The proposed merger between the supermarket giants was stalled when judges overseeing two separate cases blocked the deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Rupert Murdoch loses 'Succession' court battle
Speed Read Murdoch wanted to give full control of his empire to son Lachlan, ensuring Fox News' right-wing editorial slant
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Bitcoin surges above $100k in post-election rally
Speed Read Investors are betting that the incoming Trump administration will embrace crypto
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Enron mystery: 'sick joke' or serious revival?
Speed Read 23 years after its bankruptcy filing, the Texas energy firm has announced its resurrection
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US charges Indian tycoon with bribery, fraud
Speed Read Indian billionaire Gautam Adani has been indicted by US prosecutors for his role in a $265 million scheme to secure solar energy deals
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published