The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) stepped up its call for the FAA to fully staff air traffic control (ATC) facilities, citing a recent Transportation Inspector General Report that found that the agency lacks a plan to address shortages.
The Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General’s (DOT OIG) report, “FAA Faces Controller Staffing Challenges as Air Traffic Operations Return to Pre-Pandemic Levels at Critical Facilities,” found that “the lack of fully certified controllers, operational supervisors, and traffic management coordinators pose a potential risk to air traffic operations.” DOT found that managers it interviewed at 16 of 17 facilities felt their locations were not adequately staffed. Many controllers have been working mandatory overtime and six-day work weeks to cover shortages. It further said the FAA has made “limited efforts” to ensure adequate controller staffing and that it lacks a plan to address the issues.
“The Agency also has yet to implement a standardized scheduling tool to optimize controller scheduling practices at these facilities, and FAA officials disagree on how to account for trainees when determining staffing numbers," the DOT OIG added.
NATCA maintained the report echoed what it has been saying for years. “There are currently 1,200 fewer fully certified controllers today compared to 10 years ago,” said NATCA president Rich Santa. “FAA’s flawed staffing model and inconsistent hiring have resulted in new hires not keeping pace with attrition over the past decade. The status quo is no longer sustainable.”
The FAA’s Air Traffic Organization partnered with NATCA to collaboratively determine the number of fully certified controllers (CPCs) needed to meet facility operational, statutory, and contractual requirements. The Collaborative Resource Workgroup (CRWG) found that 14,335 CPCs are required to meet all the FAA’s requirements, compared with the 12,062 that FAA’s model suggests. NATCA was pleased that the House FAA bill would require the FAA to base its staffing targets on the CRWG findings. “Considering the DOT OIG’s report, FAA should do so without the need for congressional intervention and Congress should not require further study of the issue,” Santa said.