WASHINGTON—A federal task force called on the government
Wednesday to bear much of the cost for modernizing the nation's
delay-prone air-traffic control system.  The debate over who
should pay for the so-called NextGen project, a multiyear $15
billion endeavor to move to a satellite-based system, has been a
key obstacle standing in the way of legislation to kick-start
the project. The airline industry wants the government to pay
for equipping planes with upgraded navigation systems, while
Congressional lawmakers have called for airlines and other
private entities to bear the costs.  On Wednesday, the Future of
Aviation Advisory Committee, a panel of government, industry and
union leaders convened by U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray
LaHood, voted to recommend that the federal government undertake
a "significant financial investment" to accelerate NextGen. The
panel, concluding months of meetings, declined to say how much
the government should pay, but said aid could come in the form
of grants, loans, loan gua