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The longest government shutdown in U.S. history caused thousands of flights to get mired in delays just weeks before an anticipated highly traveled holiday season, reigniting debate over whether to privatize the U.S. air traffic control system, which proponents argue would shield the industry from future shutdown concerns.

Calls to privatize air traffic control have lingered on the edges of aviation policy for decades, often flaring during outages or government shutdowns that lead to lengthy delays for travelers. Air traffic controllers in the U.S. are overwhelmingly employees of the goverment-run Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which is charged with overseeing civil aviation safety, including airport operations and certifications for pe

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