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https://reason.org?utm_source=Reason+Foundation&utm_campaign=4622843381-reason_policy%7Caviation_policy%7C2026_May&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1a215e95f7-4622843381-589230776
Aviation Policy News
By Robert W. Poole, Jr.
Searle Freedom Trust Transportation Fellow and Director of Transportation Policy
May 2026
In this issue: ()
* Farewell to Spirit Airlines (#a)
* New group for remote/digital towers (#b)
* Progress on air travel/space launch conflict (#c)
* Isaacman revamps NASA's lunar program (#d)
* Understanding air traffic controller hiring and training (#e)
* Greens propose cattle-car air travel (#f)
* News Notes (#g)
* Quotable Quotes (#h)
Farewell to Spirit Airlines ()
My only trip on Spirit Airlines took place about 15 years ago, when I needed to
get from Fort Lauderdale to Atlantic City to attend a Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) conference. The only convenient choice was via Spirit. I
was not fully prepared for the crowding and limited legroom, and I vowed,
“never again.” But I admired what Spirit was doing: offering rock-bottom fares
for people who could likely not afford American, Delta, or United. I’m sad to
see it go, but bailing it out would have been wrong.
Economist Joseph Schumpeter introduced the concept of “creative destruction” in
his 1942 classic, Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy. He meant that one of
the virtues of a market economy is that seriously-flawed businesses don’t
survive, and that’s a very good thing. It’s one of the reasons the U.S. economy
is far more productive than the economies of Europe.
Spirit died because its management was not as good as that of competitors
Allegiant, Frontier, Sun Country, Avelo, Breeze, and others. One possible
rescuer was JetBlue, but the Biden administration stopped that merger as
anti-competitive. Its largest airport was Fort Lauderdale (FLL), and since I
live near there, I followed Spirit’s activities more closely than I would have
if it had been based elsewhere. I viewed Spirit’s recent opening of a grandiose
headquarters complex near FLL as a symptom of bad management.
The U.S. airline sector dodged a bullet during Spirit’s last days, when the
airline desperately sought a $500 million federal loan. When it started to look
as if the Trump administration might do that, a feeding frenzy began. A
recently created Association of Value Airlines (Allegiant, Avelo, Frontier,
Spirit, and Sun Country) also sought a $2.5 billion federal handout.
Fortunately, none of those handouts took place, and with Spirit gone, the other
“value airlines” will quickly fill the void left behind. Aviation Daily’s Karen
Walker, on May 5, wrote that the two airlines most likely to benefit from
Spirit’s demise are Frontier and JetBlue, based on their route structure. She
noted that two days after Spirit’s last flight, the stocks of those two
carriers “saw upticks in the 3%-6% range.”
Once again, America’s more productive market delivered a sensible outcome. No
handouts or loans to losers, and competitors ready and eager to take up the
slack.
» return to top (#top)
New Stakeholder Group Aims to Advance U.S. Remote/Digital Towers ()
By Marc Scribner
Readers of this newsletter
(https://reason.org/aviation-policy-news/?utm_source=Reason+Foundation&utm_campaign=4622843381-reason_policy%7Caviation_policy%7C2026_May&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1a215e95f7-4622843381-589230776)
are familiar with the glacial pace of remote/digital air traffic control tower
deployment in the United States. Despite proposing the technology more than two
decades ago, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been unable to
certify any remote/digital towers. Meanwhile, in the last decade, these
technologies have become increasingly mainstream around the world. The Digital
Tower Technology Coalition
(https://www.digitaltowertakeoff.org/?utm_source=Reason+Foundation&utm_campaign=4622843381-reason_policy%7Caviation_policy%7C2026_May&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1a215e95f7-4622843381-589230776)
, a new aviation stakeholder group, aims to address the FAA bottlenecks to
technology approval and deployment.
According to an April 22 press release
(https://www.digitaltowertakeoff.org/_files/ugd/1a1aad_3b00316e2b194ceb93946ea2bbe6e466.pdf?utm_source=Reason+Foundation&utm_campaign=4622843381-reason_policy%7Caviation_policy%7C2026_May&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1a215e95f7-4622843381-589230776)
announcing its formation, the Digital Tower Technology Coalition (DTTC) will
support the deployment of remote/digital tower technology in the United States
through a partnership among “U.S. airports, regional partners, air traffic
controllers, original equipment manufacturers, and federal partners.” Rinaldi
Consultants, the firm founded by former National Air Traffic Controllers
Association President Paul Rinaldi, is coordinating the coalition. The Digital
Tower Technology Coalition has also joined the Modern Skies Coalition, the
umbrella group of aviation stakeholders pushing for broader modernization of
the U.S. air traffic control system.
The DTTC is focused on the implementation of Section 621 of the 2024 FAA
Reauthorization Act, which ordered the FAA to create a dedicated remote tower
deployment program and publish system design and operational approval
milestones. The coalition lists six main goals
(https://www.digitaltowertakeoff.org/_files/ugd/1a1aad_8af480ad981c4011ad714a18c3035dc8.pdf?utm_source=Reason+Foundation&utm_campaign=4622843381-reason_policy%7Caviation_policy%7C2026_May&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1a215e95f7-4622843381-589230776)
it hopes to accomplish:
* Digital tower system design and approval that complies with the congressional
mandate;
* Evaluation of multi-airport management from a single remote tower center;
* Expedited deployment through faster system design approval and commissioning
processes;
* Advanced air mobility (AAM) integration to support new aircraft entrants;
* Regulatory improvements that provide stakeholders meaningful opportunities
for engagement with FAA; and
* Enhanced visual detection tools, including surface surveillance technology.
Reason Foundation helped draft Section 621 with congressional staff and had
hoped it would instill more urgency at the FAA around remote/digital towers.
Unfortunately, the FAA’s implementation of this directive has been
disappointing to date.
A Reason Foundation report
(https://reason.org/policy-brief/advancing-remote-air-traffic-control-tower-deployment-united-states/?utm_source=Reason+Foundation&utm_campaign=4622843381-reason_policy%7Caviation_policy%7C2026_May&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1a215e95f7-4622843381-589230776)
published last year on remote/digital tower deployment highlighted that the
FAA failed to submit a comprehensive development and deployment plan on time,
chose not to implement system design approval evaluation other than at the
FAA’s Atlantic City Tech Center, and issued an abrupt update to technical
requirements that delayed the lone project undergoing system design approval by
at least four months. Testing of that system, developed by RTX and Frequentis,
with piloted aircraft at Atlantic City International Airport, was completed by
the end of 2025, but approval has yet to be granted.
In contrast to the FAA’s sluggish pace on remote/digital tower deployment,
remote/digital towers are being implemented around the world. This began more
than a decade ago when Sweden commissioned the first remote tower in 2015. As
of May 2025, 30 remote towers were in operation globally with dozens more under
development. Of those, 25 are managed by remote tower centers designed to
manage multiple airports simultaneously. The improved situational awareness
offered by remote/digital tower technology, coupled with the facility
consolidation it enables, can improve safety while realizing substantial cost
savings.
Importantly, it is no longer just affluent northern European countries
deploying this technology. Romania commissioned its first remote tower and
remote tower center in 2023, and the government of Thailand is in the process
of deploying remote/digital towers at airports across the country. The Dutch
Caribbean island of Curaçao held a groundbreaking ceremony in 2025 for its
remote tower center that will manage traffic at Curaçao’s airport as well as
the airport on the island of Bonaire, located approximately 50 miles away. The
global market for remote/digital tower technology has been forecasted to grow
more than sixfold over the next decade.
Increasing advocacy coordination and raising public awareness will likely be
critical to delivering on the promise of remote/digital towers in the United
States. This makes the launch of the Digital Tower Technology Coalition a very
welcome development. Aviation industry stakeholders, such as Airlines for
America, have become increasingly interested in the near-term deployment of
remote/digital towers. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford has publicly
acknowledged the benefits of remote/digital tower technology. Congress has also
increased pressure on the FAA to act more rapidly. With sustained effort and a
bit of luck, the FAA might be pushed in the right direction.
» return to top (#top)
Progress on Space Launches and Air Travel ()
Since 2023, total launches from the launch pads in Florida’s Brevard County
(Cape Canaveral area) have increased from about 75 in 2023 to a record 109 in
2025, and an expected 2026 total that will be even higher. During launch
windows, the FAA closes large blocks of airspace in defined “airspace hazard
zones.” The projected increase in launches will require a number of changes to
reduce the impact on air travel.
The last time I wrote about this, in the Nov. 2024 issue
(https://reason.org/aviation-policy-news/spirit-bankruptcy-space-launches-and-response-to-report-on-aging-faa-systems/?utm_source=Reason+Foundation&utm_campaign=4622843381-reason_policy%7Caviation_policy%7C2026_May&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1a215e95f7-4622843381-589230776)
of this newsletter, I recommended that space missions should pay for their use
of airspace for launches and returns. Hence, I was pleased to read last month
that the FAA would soon start charging fees for commercial launches and
re-entries. Politico reported (April 22) that the fees would be levied either
on payload weight or a maximum amount, whichever is less.
When I read Sandy Murdock’s detailed explanation, “Space Launches and Air Space
Intersect—What’s UP
(https://jdasolutions.aero/blog/space-launches-and-air-space-intersect-whats-up?utm_source=Reason+Foundation&utm_campaign=4622843381-reason_policy%7Caviation_policy%7C2026_May&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1a215e95f7-4622843381-589230776)
?” I came away better-informed but also dissatisfied. The FAA is planning to
shrink the large blocks of airspace and the duration of closures. It is
developing Dynamic Launch Hazard Areas (DLHAs). aiming to cut closure time in
half and reduce the current large size of airspace closures. It is also working
to expand the Space Data Integrator (at the FAA’s Command Center) by feeding it
real-time telemetry so that closures can be terminated as quickly as possible.
The FAA is also working to transition to “risk-based hazard modeling” using
real-time data on debris dispersion and using “just-in-time” airspace
management rather than long-duration blocks.
This is significant progress, but the part I’m least impressed with is the new
launch fees. The rate charged appears to be a token amount, unrelated to the
kinds of costs that are involved in the changes discussed above. Just as runway
charges are (or should be) a significant funding source for airport
infrastructure, space launch fees should likewise provide meaningful (rather
than token) funding for the infrastructure needed for current and future launch
and re-entry operations. Today’s token fees are a long way from that concept.
» return to top (#top)
Isaacman Revamps Artemis Moon Program ()
I cheered when entrepreneur/astronaut Jared Isaacman agreed to serve as NASA
administrator. Last month, he lived up to my expectations by making some
important changes in the ongoing Artemis program focused on the Moon. As Irene
Klotz detailed
(https://aviationweek.com/space/space-exploration/nasa-shifts-artemis-gateway-station-moon-base?utm_source=Reason+Foundation&utm_campaign=4622843381-reason_policy%7Caviation_policy%7C2026_May&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1a215e95f7-4622843381-589230776)
in Aviation Week, he has canceled the nearly useless Gateway space station in
lunar orbit, aims to retire the old-technology/non-reusable SLS (aka Senate
Launch System) as soon as politically possible, and plans to take full
advantage of the growing capacity of the commercial space industry. Instead of
a lunar base in orbit around the Moon (why?), the plan now focuses on a
permanent base on the Moon itself.
Isaacman has scrapped plans for a larger SLS upper stage and the required
multi-billion-dollar launch tower it would have required, to focus on making
the remaining (congressionally mandated) SLS launches as identical as possible.
And SLS will be over and done with after Artemis V, scheduled for 2029.
Commercial space will provide a much larger share of launches, lunar landings,
and development of the lunar base.
Next year, NASA plans on-orbit testing of the Blue Origin and SpaceX Human
Landing Systems. The Artemis III mission now calls for astronauts from an
SLS/Orion vehicle to rendezvous with one or both of the HLS vehicles in Earth
orbit. Doing this in Earth orbit avoids the need to use the SLS Interim
Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS), which would have been needed to propel Orion
to a lunar orbit. That ICPS can now be saved for Artemis IV, as pointed out
(https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/04/the-artemis-ii-mission-has-ended-where-does-nasa-go-from-here/?utm_source=Reason+Foundation&utm_campaign=4622843381-reason_policy%7Caviation_policy%7C2026_May&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1a215e95f7-4622843381-589230776)
by Eric Berger in Ars Technica. And instead of sending an Orion to the Moon,
future astronauts could make that journey on either the Blue Origin or SpaceX
Human Landing System.
Actual lunar landings with astronauts will comprise Artemis IV and V in 2028.
Klotz points out that the revamped program will build on NASA’s Commercial
Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) and Blue Origin and SpaceX HLS.
Looking further ahead, Isaacman aims to contract with two launch providers to
send crews to the Moon every six months, to what will be a Moon base built in
three phases over the next 10 years. The estimated launches involved in this
project will total 24 in 2026-28, up to 27 in 2029-32, and up to 29 in 2033-36.
(Most of those launches will be cargo-only.)
This is a far more ambitious lunar program than previous NASA plans envisioned.
Thus far, Isaacman has not asked for any large increases in NASA’s budget. This
is due to both deleting costly but non-essential programs (e.g., Gateway) and
relying more heavily on commercial launch providers.
» return to top (#top)
Understanding Air Traffic Controller Hiring and Training ()
Here is a typical headline about the shortage of U.S. air traffic controllers:
“FAA Proposes to Hire 2,300 Air Traffic Controllers in Budget Request
(https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/faa-proposes-hire-2300-air-traffic-controllers-budget-request-2026-04-06/?utm_source=Reason+Foundation&utm_campaign=4622843381-reason_policy%7Caviation_policy%7C2026_May&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1a215e95f7-4622843381-589230776)
.” That’s incorrect. Except in rare cases (such as the FAA hiring a military
controller), what the FAA hires are would-be air traffic controllers. Sometimes
even aviation journalists get this wrong. The lead article in Aviation Daily’s
April 22, 2026, issue said, “The project has also aimed to address the national
shortage of controllers, hiring nearly 2,400 since March 2025 when the campaign
was launched.”
There are many steps between hiring a candidate and that person eventually
being able to handle air traffic in an FAA facility (Tower, TRACON, or Center).
It’s important to understand this process and its results because Congress and
the FAA focus public attention on the starting number, when the end number is
all that actually counts. Occasionally, one hears suggestions that in order to
reach the number of certified controllers the FAA needs, the hurdles in the
process should, in some manner, be eased to enable more applicants to actually
make it to the end goal. That is the wrong direction for reforms.
To get the most value from the selection and training process, one of the best
cost savings would be to increase the stringency of the first several steps in
the process above. That would weed out those more likely to fail later. Weeding
them out sooner would reduce the overall cost of hiring and training. This
policy change would enable the FAA’s budget for hiring and training to generate
more bang for the buck.
Several years ago, the National Academies carried out a research project on
“The Air Traffic Controller Workforce Imperativ
(https://www.nationalacademies.org/projects/TRB-CAAS-23-04/publication/29112?utm_source=Reason+Foundation&utm_campaign=4622843381-reason_policy%7Caviation_policy%7C2026_May&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1a215e95f7-4622843381-589230776)
e.” Slide 29 of a PowerPoint summary is a graphic on “Controller Recruitment.”
Of the total set of would-be controllers recruited:
* 10.1% did not meet system qualifications;
* 23.6% did not meet HR qualifications;
* 25.8% opted not to take the ATSA (qualifications exam);
* 21.3% scored below “Well Qualified” on ATSA;
* 6.7% did not proceed after receiving offer letter;
* 1.1% did not pass medical or other removal points;
* 4.5% failed or withdrew from Academy training; and
* 6.7% graduated from the Academy.
So when you read that the FAA has 'hired' 3,400 controllers, the yield after
the above hurdles would be 228. Yet there is one additional hurdle. Those 228
get assigned to a tower, TRACON, or Center where they receive on-the-job
training for several years. The same slide deck from which the above data were
retrieved reported that in FY 2019, only 61% of trainees became certified
professional controllers (CPC). Hence, out of the 228, we could expect only 139
to get to CPC. That’s pretty depressing, but that’s the reality.
In a commentary in the New York Times (Sept. 29, 2025), Binyamin Appelbaum
provided some additional insights into the problem. (“Why Is Your Flight Always
Delayed? Blame Government Shutdowns
(https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/29/opinion/flight-delays-faa-government-shutdown.html?utm_source=Reason+Foundation&utm_campaign=4622843381-reason_policy%7Caviation_policy%7C2026_May&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1a215e95f7-4622843381-589230776)
”) He notes that during government shutdowns, the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City
is typically shut down. He also notes that a recent Transportation Research
Board study found that between 2013 and 2023, the FAA hired so few controller
trainees that it ended up with one-third fewer controllers than it estimated it
would need. After citing some air traffic control near-misses, he noted that,
“One possible corrective is to remove the government from its role. Other
nations, including Australia, Canada, and Germany, have created stand-alone
corporations, funded by industry [ATC fees] to operate their ATC systems.”
It’s a good point, and in nearly all of the 94 self-funded air traffic control
corporations, only four are in some sense “private.” Nearly all are
government-owned corporations that are not part of the national government’s
budget—and hence are immune to government shutdowns.
» return to top (#top)
Environmental Groups Propose Cattle-Car Airline Policy ()
Aviation Week (March 9-22, 2026) reported that European environmental groups
such as The Shift Project and Aero Decarbo are urging governments to reduce the
amount of air travel in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “Now is the
time for curbing traffic,” they argue. Other proposals include the termination
of frequent-flyer programs, regulating airline advertising, and imposing CO2
taxes on airlines and passengers. Another organization, Nature’s Portfolio,
calls for requiring airlines to switch to all-economy passenger loads.
Fortunately for the future of airlines and air travel, these ideas are being
discussed only in Europe. There are no such discussions in North America, the
Middle East, Latin America, or Asia, where air travel is growing faster than in
Europe or the United States. Since CO2 is a worldwide phenomenon, curbing air
travel only in Europe (where air travel is not growing much) will have little
global impact.
Fortunately, the ongoing replacement of older airliners with new ones will lead
to reductions in aviation’s carbon footprint. A paper
(https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-025-03069-4?utm_source=Reason+Foundation&utm_campaign=4622843381-reason_policy%7Caviation_policy%7C2026_May&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1a215e95f7-4622843381-589230776)
published Jan. 7 in Nature Communications Earth & Environment, while
recommending some of the above anti-air-travel policies, also pointed out how
the ongoing replacement of aging fuel-hog airliners with newer aircraft will
lead to continual reductions in aviation’s carbon footprint. For example,
replacing most current airliners with the Boeing 787-9 for long-haul travel and
the Airbus A321neo for shorter trips would lead to fuel savings of 25-28%.
Increasing average load factors to 95% would reduce emissions by16%.
But the urge to regulate continues. Last year, several governments formed the
Premium Flyers Solidarity Coalition to lobby for taxing premium flights. Except
for France and Spain, the member governments are small (Barbados, Djibouti,
Kenya). The International Air Transportation Association (IATA) commented that
“Increased taxation on air travel threatens connectivity, distorts competition,
and ultimately undermines social and economic development in the regions most
reliant on aviation as a lifeline,” (emphasis added).
Fast-growing India and the Middle East are not about to reduce or give up air
travel, in response to European hand-wringing about aviation’s carbon
footprint. This anti-air travel concern seems to be a European obsession that
may end up reducing air travel there but probably nowhere else.
Follow-Up on ADS-B/In for Small Aircraft
Newsletter reader Matt Thurber followed up on last month’s News Note about the
Sentry Mini ADS-B/In receiver. He listed additional costs for a tablet computer
to display traffic, electronic flight bag app to display traffic on the tablet,
mounting equipment for the tablet computer, tablet case for mount to attach to,
and purchase and installation of FAA-approved USB charging port. Total,
including the Mini, is $1,802 plus the ongoing app fee of $100 to $300/year.
» return to top (#top)
News Notes ()
Washington Post Calls for Major FAA Reform
In a May 19 editorial
(https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/05/19/faa-scheduling-changes-will-reduce-staffing-needs/?utm_source=Reason+Foundation&utm_campaign=4622843381-reason_policy%7Caviation_policy%7C2026_May&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1a215e95f7-4622843381-589230776)
that I could have written, the Washington Post calls for ending the FAA’s dual
role as both aviation safety regulator and air traffic control system operator.
“The proper role for the FAA in air traffic control should be setting safety
standards and ensuring they are upheld. The provision of services should be
spun off into a separate organization that only does air traffic control. It
would be freed from the constraints of the federal budget and procurement rules
to improve according to the best practices of business, not the demands of
politicians.”
Major Modernization of Washington Dulles Airport Proposed
The January issue
(https://reason.org/aviation-policy-news/brand-new-air-traffic-control-system/?utm_source=Reason+Foundation&utm_campaign=4622843381-reason_policy%7Caviation_policy%7C2026_May&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1a215e95f7-4622843381-589230776)
of this newsletter included an article on responses to an RFI from
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy for ideas on rethinking Dulles Airport
(IAD). In response, noted public-private partnership (P3) developers such as
Macquarie and Ferrovial released imaginative proposals for turning IAD into a
world-class airport. And on May 11, Airport Architecture published an article
(https://byerussell.substack.com/p/a-22-billion-program-for-dulles?utm_source=Reason+Foundation&utm_campaign=4622843381-reason_policy%7Caviation_policy%7C2026_May&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1a215e95f7-4622843381-589230776)
about the airport authority’s not-yet-released $22 billion plan to transform
the airport. Since the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority does not have
that kind of money, this would appear to set the stage for a very large-scale
long-term airport P3, such as those proposed back in January.
House Passes ALERT Act Instead of ROTOR Act
By a vote of 396 to 10, the House passed
(https://transportation.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=409449&utm_source=Reason+Foundation&utm_campaign=4622843381-reason_policy%7Caviation_policy%7C2026_May&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1a215e95f7-4622843381-589230776)
HR 7613, a counterpart to the Senate’s unanimous vote for the ROTOR Act, which
includes ADS-B/In for all aircraft equipped with ADS-B equipment; ALERT omitted
that. In response, the Regional Airline Association (RAA) proposed that the
compromise bill might allow ADS-B/In to be accessible via cockpit crew use of
tablets and other electronic flight bag systems rather than built-in cockpit
displays, which would be a costly addition for small-aircraft cockpits. A
House/Senate conference committee has not yet come up with a compromise.
Port Authority Will Install Transponders in Airfield Vehicles
In the aftermath of the tragic airliner/fire truck collision at LaGuardia (LGA)
in March, the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey has made a long-overdue
decision to add transponders to all its airport ground vehicles. That way,
their locations will show up in real time on ASDE-X, the collision-avoidance
system that failed to detect the airport fire/rescue truck that collided with
an airliner. I was surprised that the FAA hadn’t already made this a mandatory
safety measure for airports with ASDE-X systems. But on May 13, the FAA
announced that it will provide transponders for 1,900 airport vehicles at 44
airports that have ASDE-X or similar systems.
Retrofits Under Way on Boeing 757s and 767s
Aviation Daily reported (April 28) that ACSS and two other companies are
teaming up to provide ADS-B/In retrofit packages for 757 and 767 airliners. The
upgrade will combine ACSS’s ADS-B/In unit with Innovative Aerosystems’
flat-panel displays. For aircraft without displays, the system will be offered
as a unit, including an Acron Aviation TCAS 3000 collision avoidance system.
ADS-B/In with cockpit display of information provides information on nearby air
traffic without relying on air traffic controllers.
Toronto Airport CEO Opposes Airport Privatization
With airport privatization again on the government’s agenda in Canada, Toronto
Airports Authority CEO Deborah Flint expressed opposition to “privatization,”
perhaps not understanding that what is being proposed is not a sale (loss of
control by the public agency) but a long-term P3 lease (shared governance
between owner and investor). Whoever in the Canadian government is discussing
airport privatization should make this point clear.
Iridium Acquires Aireon
Satellite operator Iridium has signed a contract to acquire the 61% of
space-based ADS-B provider Aireon, which it did not already own, per the Wall
Street Journal
(https://www.wsj.com/tech/iridium-bets-on-air-safety-in-aireon-takeover-07f35719?utm_source=Reason+Foundation&utm_campaign=4622843381-reason_policy%7Caviation_policy%7C2026_May&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1a215e95f7-4622843381-589230776)
. Iridium was the start-up investor in Aireon, which uses Iridium satellites
to provide global ADS-B services to aircraft operators and air navigation
service providers worldwide. Iridium shares have more than doubled over the
last six months, WSJ reported.
JFK Terminal 8 Has Grand Opening
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey last month celebrated the grand
re-opening of Terminal 8 at JFK. Among those responsible for the revamp and
upgrade are ASUR Airports, Phoenix Infrastructure Group, MERA USA, and American
Airlines. Terminal 8 is the first of a number of terminal modernizations at JFK
under the Port Authority’s $19 billion modernization of the airport.
Italy’s Catania Airport to Offer Shares
Infralogic
(https://infralogic.com/?utm_source=Reason+Foundation&utm_campaign=4622843381-reason_policy%7Caviation_policy%7C2026_May&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1a215e95f7-4622843381-589230776)
reported (May 6) that Italy’s fifth-largest airport, Catania Fontanarossa,
began its privatization process on May 4th. Several international airport
groups are expected to be interested in bidding for the on-offer 51 to 66% of
the airport’s shares, currently 100% owned by the local government airport
company Societa Aeroporto Catania (SAC). The Infralogic reporters speculated
that among those interested in bidding may well include Italy’s F2i,
infrastructure fund Mundys, Corporacion America’s Toscana Aeroporti, and Venice
Airport operator SAV. They also mentioned as possible bidders the Spanish
airport company Aena and the French company Vinci Airports.
FAA Released First Phase of Modernized NOTAM System
On April 18, the FAA released the first version of its revamped Notice to
Airmen (NOTAM) system for airspace users. The project’s goal is to replace the
outmoded and poorly organized system for alerting pilots to such news as GPS
outages, taxiway closures, out-of-service navigation aids, and temporary flight
restrictions. The initial release used an upgraded delivery system, but the
format and content of the NOTAMs was unchanged. The plan is that a new
vendor-provided NOTAM Management Service (NMS) will revamp the presentation of
information to pilots to make it easier to find information relevant to the
route they plan to fly. This is still very much a work in progress.
NASA Looking Beyond Costly Space Launch System (SLS)
Aviation Week (May 4-17, 2026) reports that NASA and various contractors are
revising the architecture for the Artemis program. Planned changes include
revisions to the Orion crew module and the European Service Module. “Also
included is a broader mission capability set and compatibility with additional
launch vehicles beyond the current Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.”
Korean Company Makes a Second Try in Ecuador
Korea Airports Corporation has resumed discussions with Ecuadorian officials
about engaging in a “strategic partnership” with Eloy Alfaro de Manta
International Airport in the Pacific Manabi Province. The proposed P3 would be
a 30-year concession. Eva Llorens reported in Infralogic (May 8th) that this is
a second try for the Korean company, which is discussing the potential
concession with Transportation Minister Dario Herrera.
Would Trump’s Arch Interfere with Reagan National Flight Paths?
The FAA has been asked by the Interior Department to evaluate the potential
risks or impacts of the arch on flight paths to and from Reagan National
Airport (DCA). At a planned height of 250 feet, it may conflict with north
arrival flight paths or north departure flight paths, both of which involve
low-altitude airspace close to and northwest of DCA. CNN noted in its article
that the FAA “declined to give a timeline for its review of the arch.”
French ANSP Expects Full Free Route Airspace by 2028
Aviation Week reported
(https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/safety-ops-regulation/french-air-traffic-control-body-sees-full-free-route-airspace?utm_source=Reason+Foundation&utm_campaign=4622843381-reason_policy%7Caviation_policy%7C2026_May&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1a215e95f7-4622843381-589230776)
that DSNA, the French air navigation service provider (ANSP), is planning to
offer free route airspace at or above 19,500 ft. across the entire country by
2028. Under free route airspace, flight crews can choose their preferred
routes. DSNA in March deployed the above FL 305, enabling high- altitude
flights to operate this way when overflying France. At this altitude and above,
France is part of the multi-country FABEC airspace block, encompassing 772,000
square miles. Free route airspace is a prerequisite for planned
trajectory-based operations.
U.K. Working on Jam-Proof GPS Alternative
Last month, the U.K. Ministry of Defense awarded a contract to a team led by
QinetiQ to develop a jam-proof alternative to GPS. As reported on April 27 by
the Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation, the system will be based on
eLoran, which uses an entirely different spectrum from GPS and is not jammed by
any of the systems that can jam GPS or related space-based systems.
» return to top (#top)
Quotable Quotes ()
“It took the FAA nine years and six months from contract award to achieve
operational status at 15 sites with electronic flight strips. Why did it take
this long, when at the beginning of this program, commercial off-the-shelf
(COTS) systems were available from several vendors? First, it was the FAA that
never saw a COTS product that is good enough for it. Second, the program was
complicated by combining traffic management functionality into the TFDM
[Terminal Flight Data Management] requirements, creating a very complex
program. These requirements are not in TFDM Build 1. Just as an aside, Nav
Canada achieved modernized air traffic control towers with electronic flight
progress strips at all its 42 tower sites in 2009.
—John Kefaliotis, email to Robert Poole, Feb. 21, 2026
“RAND Corporation’s Adam Urwick and Jessie Osborne fret in a recent commentary
on space developments, that ‘The pursuit of profit [on the Moon] raises
paramount scientific and environmental concerns. Astronomers caution that
large-scale mining activities could upset ongoing research and preservation of
the lunar environment. . . .’ But Earth’s moon is a dead place where nobody
currently does anything. There is nothing to disrupt, let alone an environment
to worry about, unless you want to elevate the occasional boot print or tire
tracks in lunar dust to the status of a problem.”
—J.D. Tuccille, “In Space, Regulators Seek to Boldly Go Where No Bureaucrat Has
Gone Before
(https://reason.com/2026/03/13/in-space-regulators-seek-to-boldly-go-where-no-bureaucrat-has-gone-before/?utm_source=Reason+Foundation&utm_campaign=4622843381-reason_policy%7Caviation_policy%7C2026_May&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1a215e95f7-4622843381-589230776)
,” The Rattler/Reason.com, March 13, 2026
» return to top (#top)
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