To the invention of supersonic aircrafts the push for whats possible, revolutionized travel. What was once novel yes even dangerous has become commonplace bordering on monday. And is year over year the safest way to travel the world, in 2018 along the, u. S. And Foreign Airlines kara come by one billion passengers, roughly one ace of the entire global population. Right now i can fly from d. C. Texas in last than 100 dollars. We have democratized transportation in the way the right brothers, could never imagined. This evolution has not without challenges, from deadly often preventable crashes to, simply setting up a system that managed to traffic, we have had ingenious safer machines, crashing, inland new system to meet our really neat. In short, we have to adapt as the landscape changes. Which brings us to the topic of today, improving and modernize air Traffic Control for the American People i. Want to make clear from the start that i am sure the air Traffic Control, efforts from previous congress, are on the minds of all of us today thats not what this is a. What or the efforts of the members who have engaged in them including the Ranking Member of the subcommittee showed both leadership, in challenge the status school. Were not here today to rehash old fights. This is not a hearing, on a shoestring proposal, or on the clinton initiated or on the reagan privatization or any others specific proposals, rather the purpose of todays hearing is to examine the current landscape, to discuss what works and what does not. And what you the stakeholders like or dont like. And open a new avenue for dialog. Every one of our witnesses here today, their testimony, has highlight the current air Traffic Control system, has problems, real and meaningful problems. Whether its a certainty of funding, or lack there off, the slow pace of technology coprocurement and the deployment, or the delays caused by inefficiencies of the Current System. So to however, every one of our witnesses, have made it an ambiguity late clear how important our Aviation System is. As we all know, congress authorized faa for another five years, that bill ultimately does not have all of the kinds of bold reforms that i would like or other folks would have hoped for, we now have a unique opportunity in front of us, to look and create a new system that works for all as a eight, aviation stakeholders, and ensure we can always be flying. The point of this hearing today, is to explore the tangible benefits of what a new reform system should contain, better flight management for generations, war for commercial flights lower fuel consumption and the emissions the lower, cost for everyone, and more certainty for those who do the hard work, of running the system. On the end Mission Component along, the full deployment of a new gps based system, adsb, could a lemonade 14. 3 Million Metric Tons of co2 over ten years. But unfortunately that effort has been stymied by a system, that played with obstacles that range from funding to bureaucratic into fights. Fortunately, we dont have to reinvent the wheel, 64 other countries including our neighbor to the north, have reformed there a air Traffic Control system, we can learn from these countries about what has worked, and what should be avoided in developing and reforming, ripped the benefit without the pitfalls. As i stated earlier todays hearing is not about a specific proposal or ideas, its about rehashing the funds, its about resetting the conversations. There is a deal could have here, a winwin for all the stakeholders and for the American People i firmly believe by coming together, we can reform the system to ensure americans, can always the fly. That i have recognized the Ranking Members of senate. Thank you mister chairman thank, you for being here today, the u. S. National airspace system is the largest and most complex airspace in the world, and thanks to our nations air Traffic Controllers, its also the safest, remain in this position we, need to continue improve the safety, efficiency and capacity are our airspace. Arizona is home to one of the largest airports in the country Phoenix International airport, one of the worlds beaches busiest, airport, as well a smaller commercial airports and the military stations, with our complex airspace our air Traffic Controllers need the best technology to keep us safe. For years ive worked in a bipartisan fashion to modernize air Traffic Control and, it has reliable resources in, arizona and across the country will begin to see increased delays and longer travel times to do in part to uncertain if a. Funding stable and predictable funding ensures our airspace remain safe and, we can continue to monitor our Traffic Control programs unfortunately in recent years, we have experience a setback in funding, the federal government recently shut down programs and temporarily closed faa, this negatively impact the lives of controllers and exacerbated long term faa staffing shortages, ended the late implementation of new technologies. Controllers in arizona reached out to me and, explain that, one controller named erin, works at the airport and is a combat vast room with a wife and four children three children have chronic illness us. And his wife stepped down from her job in order to care for them. Erin tell me about the significant financial strain to his family due to the shut down. He had to decide be for him paying for his childrens medical treatment and putting foot on table, this is an exit poll, unpaid air Traffic Control is not a controller. The aviation funding stability act, this bipartisan bill will provide funding for all faa activities in an event of Government Shutdown by utilizing the funding, not getting paid, while were working overtime, increase stress, and generate fatigue, in the case of an emergency. Controllers handle an average 44,000 flights daily, they enable our airspace to be safe as it is this, common sense approach, in shores controllers get paid for doing their jobs, even when congress does not do its job. Additionally, to remain a leader in air Traffic Safety we must focus on modernizing. Some of them includes the on deployment of the next generation technologies. Karen hi practice make it difficult to hire the most qualified individuals thats, why partners at the bipartisan group, they have a hiring format and our bill accelerates the hiring gave priorities to veterans it with certain specialized trainings. Arizona offer some of the best the conditions for aviation training, and is home to two of those schools, i am committed to support to the qualified students and veterans, who will soon Service Pilots and the mechanics to keep our sky safe. We also need to continue to improve car technologies and implement new technologies to monetary our airspace, the faa stirring justice, as it continues deployed, next jen technologies, this effort will for the improve the safety efficiency of our airspace by getting pilots and air traffic all comes trollers new monitoring capabilities. It is difficult under the best of the conditions and the delay and the red tape the funding insufficiency make it even more traffic i, look forward to hearing, from witnesses on, these issues and other issues we face in the country, thank you mister chairman i yield back. Thank. You now all introduce each of our witnesses. The first witness is myth mark baker miss baker is the seal, and only the fifth press in its 80year history of, the aircraft owner and pilots association. With over 35 years, mr. Baker was engaged in the Aviation Community as a pilot hes logged more than 7500 hours of flight time. Prior to joining our buck, mr. Baker served as ceo of Hardware Store cooperation, and Senior Executive gross in scotts company, getting to launch a company, and home depot. Mr. Baker is a graduate of university of minnesota. Our second witness is mr. At bona, mr. Bone is president and ceo of National Business aviation association, prior to joining mba, work at the general aviation manufacturers association, for Senior Vice President and general counsel, and then as president. In 2001, misspoken with nominate by president bush to serve as a member of the commissions on the future of the u. S. Aerospace industry. Prior to this, mr. Bolton was nominate by president clinton, and confirmed by the senate, to serve on the Management Advisory Council to the faa. Mr. Bolton received his degree in economics from university of kansas, his first lady grief from to Learn University and massive law from georgetown university. Our third witness, is captain joe depict, kept in the peak carney serves as the 11s president of the Airline Pilots association, which represents over 60,000 professional Airline Pilots in the United States and canada. In addition to this real, captain the pick on the serve at member of the transportation security administrations, Aviation SecurityAdvisory Committee, as a cochair of international Aviation Security committee, prior to this, kept in the pick served as the first of Vice President and National Safety coordinator, and as the second Vice President fedex, express master executive chairman, and local executive chairman, kept in the pick is a graduate of st. Johns university, and got a Star Aviation flying the casey 1 30, while serving as a captain of the u. S. Marine corps. Our fourth witness, if mr. Trash gilbert, theres a gilbert conserved as the executive Vice President of the national air Traffic Controller association, prior to serving in this role, this gilbert served for 21 years as an air traffic or controller, at the houston Traffic Control center, at george bush intercontinental dental airport. She served many road within the air controlling unit, including serving represent a, southwest rating share, of national committee, and chair of the National Legislative committee. Although originally from oregon, miss gilbert found her way to my hometown for a college, shes a graduate eight of the university of houston. Our fifth and final witness is miss pink, artemis pinkett in executive Vice President for policy and the Regulatory Affairs and airlines of for america. Miss clinton first joined airlines for america, as Vice President for Government Affairs in april 2006. Where she was responsible for over seeing all aviation related issues, before federal state and local governments. Previously, miss pink ardent served as assistant administrator for aviation policy, planning environment at the faa, before the faa serve for the attack as transportation counsel, the house aviation subcommittee chairman jamaica. Miss pincushion is a graduate of see the whale college, and her logic curry from university of florida. I now recognize mr. Banker for just a minute. Thank you, members of the subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to discuss this, to ensure the United States, maintain its leadership in aviation, to have the safest and most efficient Traffic Control system in the world. We represent over 600,000 pilots, we are active in engaging members of every state in congressional district, ive had the privilege of serving in the next jen visor a committee, for nearly six years. Now i served with several summer here, i can tell you this is the best the goverment industry collaborative efforts i am aware of and associated with. In my previous experience i, had a leadership experience in Large Companies these are you know, always challenges, and unforeseen circumstances, whether in the government or the private sector, as everything goes on exactly as planned now . Do we have a monitor system, yes we do. 80 c monitor, has been evolving process, always moving. As Technology Changes so are our system. We look forward to working with subcommittee to provide anything that can improve efficiencies ends with back to the next john efforts, within the faa construct. As you know in the past years i dont want to speak for others i could be wrong but there are each of the continue to divide us. The authors of hockey system that should benefit all users not to some. We have seen where 80 see offers general aviation in other countries. We dont want to go down that path. With all the issues we hear about from our members i can tell you our 80 see system is not one of them. Privatizing the system will not reduce the delays will, not make seats larger, or not address the fact that the passengers and they need to fly to the many same destinations the same time. It can be addressed by creating greater capacities in some of our largest airports, increase efficiency, and bring modern technologies, especially during peak hours. We believe our nations five systems are vital, we need a National Airport ecosystem to accommodate every increasing passenger flight in the country also congress has provided at a adequate resources to monitor our system, we support, the budget by the faa, to provide predicts no funding, we should address those as well. Consolidating stated facilities across the country, should be undertaken, with efficiencies. Investigative capacities, of our busiest airports, thats key. Creating an environment for private sector investments, and local airports, certainly needed across the country. Mister chairman, were committed in continuing collaborating consent voting with all users to improve the faa progress, will continue to make progress create that can sense we must work together. Not against one another. We must find a way that our National System continues to work for all segments of aviation thank. You thank you mister baker. Thank you chairman cruz, ran he members, members of the subcommittee, the National Business aviation association, represents over 11,000 companies in the United States. The mass majority of those are small companies. They operate in every imaginable field, agriculture, manufacturing, construction house care delivery, about the only thing that our members have in common, a said they all rely on general aviation aircraft, to make some portion of their transportation challenges. The senator cruz pointed out, chairman crews pointed out in his opening remarks, aviation is critically important to the United States, its been a long history of leadership that we have demonstrated, everything from the right rather fly to where we are today. Make no mistake about it, where we are today, is the largest, the safest, the most efficient, the most diverse, air Transportation System in the world. But, neither mba a, nor any americans can be satisfied with the status cool. We need to constantly move forward. Leadership today, does not mean leadership tomorrow. We have, and will continue to approach for the United States, to make transitions, to constantly improve the system. To increase through put, to reduce our emissions, and constantly increase safety. To that and, mba and its Member Companies have been very focused, on working through, platforms like the next generation Advisory Committee, to make texture and a reality. Everyone would have recognized a great deal of progress has taken place for example, we have transition, from a ground base infrastructure to a satellite based infrastructure. Our data come process which will move us from analog to digital, is underway, on time, and on the budget. Much of the old system, from the 19 fifties, is being decommissioned. Radio beacons, via ours, shortrange radar, and a number of places, i el assists, at giving way to augmentation systems, to nearly every port in the United States. This is provided access to a company, small town, rural communities, it is also enhanced safety. It is also, helped people be able to do to make things easier to deploy, were certainly going to advocate for that, we like to get around that. Thank you miss pink art and. Into tonight, the Aerospace Association estimated at the implementing this in the United States will leave to 12 fewer savings about it at 4. 4 billion dollars a year, by enabling aircrafts to life more directly from point a to point b the, new gps Navigation System will be able to reduce flying time, could be potentially