William J. McGee, the consumer advocate on the Department of Transportation’s Future of Aviation Advisory Committee, wrote a column in the New York Times last month lamenting Congress’ cut in the FAA budget, saying, “A $4 billion cut will necessarily reduce the work force further. And it’s hard to imagine this will not diminish safety.” Mr. McGee suggests there will be shortcuts in aircraft maintenance. Here are a few facts and then a question. Each Boeing 747 costs $317 million, a 777 goes for $284 million and a 737 sells for $80 million. Airbus’ giant 555-passenger A380 sells for $375 million. Here’s a true or false statement: If it weren’t for the FAA, airline company CEOs would not take the necessary measures to ensure that their aircraft took off and landed safely.

I’d say the statement is false. Even if CEOs didn’t give a hoot about passengers, I’m betting that they do care, without FAA edicts, whether billions of dollars’ worth of aircraft land and take off safely, and they will spend enough on maintenance to ensure that.