Originally Posted by Bart

Some of the comments on this board are comical. Just to put it into context, the entire section (not just select pieces quoted by the OP; bolding is mine) is:

...

In other words, the first part, quoted by the OP, says that US citizens do have the public right of transit (fly on commercial airplanes). The second part, omitted by the OP, says that the FAA is charged with the responsibility of issuing policy that ensures the safety of aircraft and the individuals aboard that aircraft. It charges the FAA Administrator with acting in the public interest. It should be intuitively obvious to the casual observer that acting in the public interest does not always coincide with individual interests.