Over the past two decades, the organization and provision of air traffic control (ATC) services has been dramatically transformed. Privatization and commercialization of air navigation has become commonplace. Far-reaching reforms, under a variety of organizational structures and aviation settings, have occurred across the world, most notably in Canada, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. In contrast, innovations have lagged behind in other countries - including the United States. In addition, much recent attention has been given to aviation infrastructure and safety in Africa, in some parts of Asia and Latin America, and in rapidly growing air markets including India and China. In response, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and multilateral banks and institutions have launched a major effort to improve the performance and safety of civil aviation in developing economies. Managing the Skies has been written to provide a guide to what has been tried in air traffic management, what has worked, and what lessons might be learned. The book starts with an introduction to air navigation, its development and current state, as well as trends in aviation activity. It examines in detail the experiences of ATC in both mature and emerging markets across the world, considering many alternative models, efforts to restructure and comparisons of performance. The book contains several in-depth case studies to provide a truly global perspective of ATC practices. Particular attention is given to the FAA and its efforts and challenges in reforming ATC in the US, both historically and in the current climate. It addresses the issues of finance, organization, investment, and safety restructuring and reform options that are at the core of current debates involving air traffic control in the United States. Further to this, the authors discuss the alternatives available for future change. The book concludes by examining the cross-cutting issues of labor relations and organizational structures, presenting the lessons learned and considering what the future may hold. As the world experiences a resurgence in air travel and civil aviation, the issues discussed in Managing the Skies are particularly timely not only for industry and government leaders, but for the world's air travelers.
About the Author: Clinton V. Oster, Jr, is Professor and Associate Dean at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA. Dr Oster received a B.S.E. from Princeton University, an M.S. from Carnegie-Mellon University, and a Ph.D. from Harvard University. He recently served on the Transportation Research Board's Expert Panel on the Status of U.S. Air Traffic Control Modernization. He is a member of the National Aviation Advisory Group of the U.S. General Accountability Office and has served on numerous study committees for the National Research Council of the National Academies. John S. Strong is the CSX Professor of Finance and Economics at the Graduate School of Business Administration, The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia (USA). Professor Strong received his Master's and Ph.D. from Harvard, where he has also taught and been a visiting scholar. Strong's research interests are in aviation and transport infrastructure and project finance. He has written books on airline liberalization, aviation safety, and Russian transport reform, as well as a number of articles on airlines, transport, and infrastructure finance. He has served as a consultant on aviation issues to multilateral institutions and governments in the United States, Southeast Asia, China, Russia, India, Latin America, Africa, and Europe