A government watchdog says that despite a doubling of spending on air traffic control operations over the past decade productivity has declined and reform efforts have been ineffective.
The report by the Department of Transportation's Inspector General may boost efforts by some lawmakers, airlines and others to remove air traffic operations from the Federal Aviation Administration's control and turn them over to a nonprofit corporation.
An air traffic controller works in the tower at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)The report blames the decline in productivity despite several efforts over time to reorganize and improve operations on a culture resistant to change within the FAA and a failure to adopt business-like practices.
An FAA memo responding to the report says the agency has been effective at controlling the cost of its operations and improving efficiency and effectiveness.
