Regulatory Reform Panel Explores Trans-Border Issues

Always a favorite among attendees, Tuesday's airport regulatory reform education session on the last day of the conference was well attended and moderated by Lew Bleiweis of the Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority. Lew oversaw an informative and wide-ranging discussion that featured panelists Eduardo Angeles and Curtis Holsclaw of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Canadian Airports Council president Daniel-Robert Gooch. The three panelists spoke to a number of hot topics impacting the North American airport regulatory environment including FAA reauthorization, aircraft noise, security screening, infrastructure funding, air traffic control and runway incursions. Audience members were clearly engaged and several added to the discussion with carefully considered questions that allowed the panelists to address further some of these common issues-issues that exist across the U.S. and Canadian airport regulatory environment. One topic of particular interest was the question of privatizing air traffic control in the United States. This particular issue will continue to garner attention from policy makers and legislators in the near future and would make a great session topic for next year's conference in Montreal.