Sounds like a pretty good argument for a stronger central government.
“Renting public property to a single private company for a monopolistic business with no price controls in sight.”
IIRC, monopolies were outlawed some time ago. Just another Fed law not being observed?
In the case of the current "FAA reauthorization", it's the Congress that is setting up Air Traffic Control to be "privatized", meaning a private company is allowed to take profit from the natural monopoly of ATC.
Private companies have already taken over in Canada and Europe, and the user fees they charge have almost entirely destroyed general aviation that's affordable by non-millionares. All that's left in Europe are the ultralight hobbyists. Your standard Cessna 172s or Beechcraft Bonanzas are all but gone.
The US airlines are standing in line to set up their private ATC, and are itching to destroy the advancing "Very Light Jet" market, before the VLJs can take away their first class business.
The sad thing is we've got the technology in hand to almost totally automate ATC, that would give the freedom to pilots to get clearances automatically. I fear the technology will be put on infinite hold. The FAA claims they need the changes to build their "NEXTGEN" ATC, but won't say what the technology is. But you can get a hint at what it isn't, because they're even now beginning a rapid hiring binge of new controllers to actually increase the number of people in ATC, rather than automate it and reduce numbers. I'm sure the unions love it.