The Nov. 24 editorial “Privatize air traffic control” raised critical questions but missed a fundamental point: Governance structure and finances alone don’t determine safety outcomes. System design does.
Any safety-critical system — air traffic control included — comprises three interdependent subsystems: human, organizational and technological (HOT), like links in a chain. Total system integrity depends on the strength of each of those links and their interactions. Neither a privatized nor a corporatized operation guarantees excellence; what matters is how well the system is designed and managed.
Privatized systems such as NAV CANADA and Britain’s National Air Traffic Services (NATS) have maintained strong safety records yet have faced major failures. NATS’s 2023 system collapse affected more than 700,000 passengers, while the International Civil Aviation Organization’s audit of Canada’s regulatory oversight score dropped from 95 percent in 2005 to 65.1 percent in 2023. (Though the latter could have been caused by regulatory oversight weaknesses by Transport Canada rather than operational safety performance by NAV CANADA itself.) The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration scored 89 percent on the ICAO audit under government operation.
Successful systems — whether public or private — share common traits: operational independence, strong regulatory oversight, ongoing investment in modernization and, most importantly, a strong safety culture.
The time for incremental fixes has passed. Before any governance or privatization decision, the Trump administration and Congress must commission a comprehensive national plan for the U.S. ATC system that addresses all three HOT subsystems. It cannot be another reactive response to a crisis, but rather a proactive blueprint with sustained commitment.
The stakes are too high for ideological shortcuts or piecemeal reform.
Najmedin Meshkati, Los Angeles
The writer is a former director of the University of Southern California’s Aviation Safety and Security Program and a former member of the FAA’s expert panel reviewing Boeing’s safety.
On corn bread, Southerners know best
Regarding the Nov. 23 Food article “A balancing act of savory and sweet”:
As a septuagenarian Mississippi-born Southerner, I have probably consumed more cornbread in my lifetime than all the members of The Post’s cornbread-tasting panel combined. Jiffy is my go-to cornbread mix, and every Southerner I know would heartily agree with me on that score. That the results of the taste test favored a sugar-sweetened corn cake that masquerades as cornbread demonstrates that there were far too many non-Southerners on the panel. The very idea of putting sugar into cornbread is enough to make a real cornbread aficionado choke.
Also, the article did not mention using a well-seasoned cast iron skillet to cook the cornbread, but such a skillet is the only way cornbread should be prepared. Any Southerner would agree. What’s next? Mississippians judging New England clam chowders? Please, when you are evaluating a regional cuisine — which cornbread, like grits, certainly is — limit your panel to tasters from that region.
James Tyson Currie, Alexandria
Stop bird trafficking
Thank you for the Nov. 18 news article “Man accused of smuggling protected parakeets into U.S. in his underwear,” which shed light on the despicable underworld of bird trafficking.
Every year, countless birds are torn from the skies and forests they call home, only to face a lifetime of misery behind bars. Poachers tape their beaks shut, shove them into bottles or tires and smuggle them across borders. This barbaric trade is driving species toward extinction. More than 70 percent of trapped parrots die before reaching their destination, according to the World Parrot Trust, and more than 25 percent of all parrot species are now threatened with extinction. Birds who aren’t violently snatched from their habitats commonly come from cramped, filthy breeding mills.
Bird trafficking is not just cruel; it is catastrophic. Unlike cats and dogs, birds are not domesticated. They have not evolved to live indoors, and forcing them into captivity robs them of their most basic needs and everything that makes their lives worth living. Flight is not a luxury — it is their birthright. Yet, in captivity, they languish in cages. Many have their wings clipped, leaving them stressed and frustrated, often driven to self-mutilationand depression.
Birds are profoundly social. They live in flocks, form lifelong bonds and share parenting duties. In captivity, they are often condemned to solitary cages for decades. Many parrots can live up to 80 years.
Bird trafficking is a crime against nature and a violation of compassion. Say no to buying birds. Support legislation that bans trafficking and breeding mills. Let birds remain where they belong: free, flying and thriving in their natural homes.
Blair Patrick Schuyler, Norfolk
The writer is a research specialist at the PETA Foundation.
Add context
The Nov. 23 news article “DOJ attacks judge in Comey case after prosecutors’ stumbles” failed to identify U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff as a Biden appointee. The paper regularly makes this clarification when a judge is a Trump appointee. I’m a Republican who is not a Trump fan, but this is a fairness issue. Readers would appreciate the context.
Rick Heald, Potomac
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