NATC applauds president's call to upgrade the ATC system

Said the President, at a town hall meeting in Nevada, in part of his response to a question about how to boost the tourism industry and bring jobs particularly those in the airline industry back to Las Vegas: If we can upgrade those (air traffic control) technologies, then we could reduce delays, we could reduce cancellations, we could reduce the amount of time that it takes when theres bad weather for planes to land, and all that would also help improve profitability in the airline industry, which in turn would mean that they would be able to hire more workers and provide outstanding customer service. NATCA President Paul Rinaldi hailed the remarks, adding that NATCA stands strongly on the side of modernization, innovation and progress and wants to be on the front end of those efforts through stakeholder collaboration and an FAA labor-management partnership. We support a modernized air traffic control system and we appreciate the Presidents leadership on this important issue, Rinaldi said. Both the GAO and the DOT Inspector General have told Congress that involving NATCA on projects to modernize the system and implement new technology saves money. If modernization and technology upgrades are going to be successful, NATCA must be a part of the process and that starts with a full and complete collaborative approach. We look forward to working with the Administration.