President Donald Trump’s economic advisor Gary Cohn has a plan to improve your flying experience.
During a White House town hall meeting with a number of chief executives Tuesday, Cohn shared his plan to implement GPS-based systems on flights in the U.S. Compared to current land-based radar systems, Cohn said a GPS will help pilots fly direct “from point to point,” which could cut down on both flight and tarmac times “fairly dramatically.” This technology can already be found on Canada’s flights.
“It’s kind of insulting that we’re the last to do air traffic control, not the first,” Cohn said. “A country that has Silicon Valley and all of the technology entrepreneurs that we have —we’re playing catch up.”
The other benefit of moving over to a GPS-based system may extend to fuel costs. Cohn said the “continuous descent and continuous rise” associated with the technology will help cut “over 25% of the jet fuel that we consume in this country.” You can get hear more of his thoughts on air traffic control in the video above.
In his 2017 budget proposal, President Trump suggested the U.S. move air traffic control out of the jurisdiction of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and into the hands of private corporations. Most airlines strongly support this measure as a means to bypass FAA red tape and avoid annual spending disputes. But those who oppose the proposal argue that the move will only complicate an already highly regarded control system.
