Controllers Ask Congress to Tackle Staffing Issue

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association urged the Senate appropriations transportation subcommittee to ask FAA Administrator Marion Blakey what the agency plans to do about “the looming air traffic control staffing crisis.” The association anticipates a personnel shortage of up to 50 percent in the next 10 years. “This is of particular concern because it takes up to five years to train a controller,” said NATCA president John Carr. “We need to start training 1,000 new controllers each year to meet demand, but there is no plan in place or funding to make this happen.”