President Trump's budget request for fiscal 2018 effectively would privatize air traffic control, a move that the union representing those workers, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, indicated to the Washington Examiner it may back.

Under the president's budget, control of air traffic would be moved to a nonprofit organization spun off from the Federal Aviation Administration by 2021. The budget cites a bill proposed last Congress by House Transportation Committee Chairman Bill Shuster, R-Pa., the Aviation Innovation, Reform and Reauthorization Act, as its model.

Shuster has long argued that the FAA has failed to modernize its air traffic control system. His proposal called for operations to be shifted to nonprofit governed by a board including the transportation secretary, people nominated by the airline companies and representatives of the air traffic controllers' and pilots' unions. The board members could not be employees of any industry stakeholders.

"At its core, establishing an independent, not-for-profit organization to provide air traffic service, regulated at arm's length by the FAA, is a transformational government reform that is essential to move America towards a 21st century aviation system that is without equal in the world," Shuster said Thursday. The chairman has said that pursuing the privatization would be a top priority of his committee.

The union endorsed Shuster's proposed legislation in 2016. Spokesman Doug Church said the union is still reviewing the president's budget proposal and "isn't ready to comment yet." Asked if it still supported Shuster's proposal, Church said they would "have to see the exact language of the bill."

Church said the union's conditions for supporting legislation included protecting workers "in their employment relationship, including their rights and benefits." In other words, ensuring that the union's contract with the FAA carried over to the new nonprofit entity, something that was included in Shuster's 2016 bill.

He said that the legislation also would have to ensure that air safety and efficiency remain the top priorities, not disrupt service to the aviation community and provide "a stable, predictable funding stream" for FAA operations.

Union President Paul Rinaldi made the same points in testimony before Shuster's committee this month and said that a nonprofit entity could address the union's concerns. "Moving operations out of federal control would ensure more stable funding," he said.

Rinaldi added that that approach has worked in other countries without harming air safety. "In theory, this model could deliver results similar to those we have seen in Canada, where NAV CANADA has proved itself to be a safe and innovative air navigation service provider over the past two decades."

Airlines for America, the main industry trade group, backed the proposal as well. "The president's leadership on air traffic control reform will ultimately reduce federal spending, shrink the size of the federal government and reduce taxes for passengers. By prioritizing ATC reform in his budget, the president has taken a bold step that will lead to benefits for decades to come and maintain our role as the global leader in aviation," said President Nicholas E. Calio.

Critics argue the plan would give airlines too much control over the nonprofit. "This risky proposal would add to our national deficit, threaten access to small towns and rural communities, decimate small businesses with new, unnecessary user fees; and, give the big airlines even more power over our air transportation system at a time when they are actually in need of greater oversight," said Selena Shilad, executive director of the Alliance for Aviation Across America, a coalition group that includes small airports and local government officials.