Regulations and Government
White House Calls for Independent ATC
Proposal follows meeting earlier this year between President Donald Trump and the airlines.
President Trump's budget proposal calls for privatized ATC. (Photo: Bill Carey)
President Trump's budget proposal calls for privatized ATC. (Photo: Bill Carey)

The Trump administration released its first federal budget proposal on March 16, for the first time revealing its support for calls to restructure the FAA by creating a separate entity to manage air traffic control. The U.S. Fiscal Year 2018 budget would also eliminate funding for the Essential Air Service (EAS) program that subsidizes airline flights to rural airports, a longstanding goal of congressional Republicans.