Regulations and Government
Candidates’ Plans for Bizav Remain Hazy
When the new president takes office in January, among the myriad issues to be addressed will be the concerns of the aviation community.

When the new president takes office in January, among the myriad issues to be addressed will be the concerns of the aviation community. Certain to top the pile are FAA reauthorization, air traffic control modernization and selection of a new FAA Administrator.

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), who took office in January 2005, has little track record on aerospace and defense issues. The junior senator from Illinois has sided with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association in its long-running dispute with the FAA about controller pay and working conditions. In the summer of 2006, after nine months of negotiations, the FAA unilaterally imposed the contract, despite the union’s objections. Obama has introduced a bill to change the process for resolving impasses.