Bolen Tells NPR’s Marketplace: Modernize, Don't Privatize ATC

Nov. 18, 2025

In a national news interview about the future of U.S. air traffic control, NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen highlighted the need for government and industry leaders to remain focused on the shared goal of building a brand-new ATC system.

Bolen spoke to Marketplace, a radio show that has more than 6 million listeners every month. The program is broadcast on National Public Radio (NPR) and 800 stations nationwide.

“We have a clear plan from the FAA for phasing in the building of a brand-new air traffic control system, and that includes surging the number of air traffic controllers,” Bolen told Marketplace in an interview broadcast Nov. 17.

Hear Bolen’s comments in the Nov. 17 NPR Marketplace segment.

Earlier this year, NBAA and nearly 60 other aviation groups united to form the Modern Skies Coalition, which has called for significant investment in a new ATC system. With leadership from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and bipartisan support on Capitol Hill, Congress provided $12.5 billion for a downpayment toward ATC modernization in a budget bill approved by lawmakers in July.

Some voices have looked to the recent government shutdown as an opportunity to resurface proposals for the U.S. to emulate flawed privatization models in other countries.

The concept has been opposed by a host of aviation groups, organizations on the political left and right, elected officials at the federal and local levels and others. Privatized ATC systems in other countries have been beset with funding instability, technological disruptions, flight delays, safety concerns, staffing shortages, low morale, insufficient managerial transparency and other problems.

As one notable example, Canada’s privatized air traffic control company, NavCanada, has shown a precipitous decline in a safety oversight review conducted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the global aviation policymaking entity. Specifically, Canada received an audit score of 65.1%, a significant decline from the last audit performed in 2005, when Canada was among the top 10 performing countries.

The U.S. ATC system remains the world’s largest, safest, most complex and most diverse system – one managed to serve all aviation stakeholders and communities.

The full Marketplace episode is available now on radio, online and on major podcast platforms. Read a transcript of the Nov. 17 segment, After the shutdown, what’s next for air traffic control?