Result of Contracting out ATC Services

AFSS5602 Junior Member

There has often been talk about what would happen if ATC was contracted out. Now that Lockheed has been running flight service for several years we can finally get a glimpse of how the private sector would handle ATC. I am not going to give my opinion, but merely give the facts from what Lockheed has done so you can get an idea on what would likely occur if ATC was every removed from the FAA.

Private companies are in business to profit and as a result will put profit as the number 1 priority. Companies will provide the minimum amount of safety required so that they can maximize profit.

If given the option to have 10 people working very safely with a light to moderate workload, or 5 people heavily overworked with a minimum level of safety, private companies will choose the later. The ATC workforce will be reduced considerably with the excuse that "newer technology" allows fewer people to do the job more efficiently. The reality is that the reduced workforce would not be able to efficiently handle the ever increasing traffic load. This would mean ever increasing ATC delays and operational errors/deviations.

Management of private companies will try and run ATC like a typical business, because that's all they know, which doesn't work. ATC is not retail and must be handled very differently.

For example: In flight service we have a percentage for how we are handling the days traffic. The FAA wants us to have an average of at least 80% at all times. When we perform significantly above that Lockheed takes that as we are overstaffed and that we can do with fewer people. While in government service getting close to 100% would be the goal. In the private sector they try to get the minimum of 80%.