I very much doubt this awful government of ours would let NATS go bankrupt - first of all think of the loss of dosh - Air Transport is still probably the most efficient method of squirting goods around the country. Look at the mess the roads and rail are in. I think when the PPP was being pushed through we were all being blinded by the dreaded SERCO, the evil dooer that was going to cut our pay in half, kill our pensions and put down our dogs. On reflection I think they were maybe the better choice - they certainly know how to manage.
Back to the point. Privatisation of the ATC system can be a very good thing. If it's done right and the safety is there as top priority. The extra investment that can be generated is almost unlimited. Certainly from an engineering point of view the extra cash that it could, if done right, generate would be greatly appreciated. There liesw the problem though. To be in a government type post means you don't know how to mange or run a commercial environment. It might be a good idea to get an independant consultant in to manage the change. But, if aprivate, or part-privatised ATC system/company were to manage a project like Swanwick first of all we wouldn't all be sat here on the sunny South Coast of England now. How many private companies would let a contracted company dictate time scales and costs? Then do you think they'd let it go 2 times over budget? The FAA has a prime opportunity here to show the rest of the world how to privatise an ATC system and do it right.
Out of interest I'm against this PPP we have now, as I'm against total privatisation of ATC. But why would anyone wearing a suit listen to a little snot nosed engineer like me? Make sure your voice is heard loud otherwise you'll get pi$$ed on like all of us in NATS.