Date of Award

2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Coe, Richard

Area of Concentration

Political Science and Economics

Abstract

After the deregulation of airlines in 1978, the United States saw an influx of new flights and aircraft in the air, leading to pressure on the air traffic control system; by the end of the 1980s, the number of flights decreased; however, the financial, administrative, and infrastructural issues persisted. I argue that an institutional and economic restructuring of air traffic control in the United States is the answer to address these issues. I examine different governing and financing strategies used in other countries to oversee air traffic control, such as government agencies, government corporations, public-private partnerships, and private corporations. The goal is to hypothesize which system is economically and politically viable to replace the United States' current government agency structure and its growing financial and logistic dilemma. The study examines six different countries and their systems and the political and economic issues that led to their changes. However, while a government corporation is the most viable option, it will be challenging to establish without government and non-government actors' support, which might lose authority over it.

Download

Share

COinS