The GPS unit in your car is more advanced than the technology used by air traffic controllers.
That's something to think about the next time you're on a commercial airliner, AWB President Don Brunell writes in his weekly column.
It doesn't have to stay this way. Congress approved a new GPS air traffic control system known as NextGen in 2003, but it has yet to be fully implemented, partly because of the cost -- $40 billion -- and also due to bureaucracy.
Nevertheless, it's an investment well worth making, Brunell writes. Congestion and weather delays tied to the limitations of radar cost airlines and consumers almost $10 billion last year.
Some airlines are moving ahead. Alaska Airlines is using GPS to assist with landing at Juneau International Airport, and the company said it prevented 729 flight cancellations last year.
"This is an opportunity for the FAA to demonstrate that it understands the importance of efficiency, precise information and a timely response," Brunell writes, "in our air traffic control system and in our federal bureacracy."