The recent government shutdown disrupted U.S. air traffic control (ATC) and frustrated millions of passengers, leading to delays and cancellations. Our ATC system is a bureaucracy within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), so it gets caught in the crossfire when the politicians can’t agree on annual budget bills.

Budget squabbles have repeatedly caused ATC disruptions over the years, and airline passengers can expect more trouble ahead as spending battles intensify amid soaring federal deficits.

The solution is straightforward, as dozens of nations have figured out : Separate ATC funding from the government budget to insulate it from politics. ATC can be operated as a stand-alone system funded by fees on airlines and private aircraft. It does not need to be subsidized or mis(m

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