Oakland Latest Airport With Staffing Emergency as Air Traffic Control Crisis Grows

http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/01/28/oakland-latest-airport-with-staffing-emergency-as-air-traffic-control-crisis-grows/

by James Parks, Jan 28, 2008

The staffing crisis in the nation’s air traffic control system has reached a dangerous level and it’s getting worse. Just two weeks after the Air Traffic Controllers (NATCA) declared a staffing emergency in five cities, the union now has added Oakland to the list and is warning that Miami may be next.

NATCA says the emergency declaration means controllers do not have sufficient numbers of trained and experienced personnel on the ground to safely handle the volume of traffic in the air and takeoffs and landings at major airports.



Late last week, air traffic controllers at both the Northern California Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) and the Oakland Traffic Control Center declared a staffing emergency and called on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Department of Transportation to act immediately to stem the loss of veteran controllers.

In the past two weeks, NATCA highlighted serious staffing and safety concerns in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, New York and Southern California.

Nationwide, 10 percent of the air traffic control workforce left in fiscal year 2007, and fiscal year 2008 is already shaping up to be even worse for attrition as a result of the continuing lack of a negotiated and ratified labor agreement.

Since October, controllers—both veterans and trainees—have been leaving at the rate of more than six per day, a 41 percent rise in the rate of attrition from a year ago, according to NATCA. The net loss of total air traffic control staff has left the country with just 11,077 fully certified and trained controllers, the lowest level in 15 years.

FULL story at link.

I might be talking with them tonight on my flight simulator
flying SFO-PDX-JNU-ANC Boeing 717

:hi:

EDIT -- I just read the entire article -- we need to get on our Senators in a BIG WAY about this. I get the feeling this crucial area is as neglected as badly as we would imagine it to be in a banana republic. Shameful.

One of his greatest accomplishments--firing the air traffic controllers. Our country has never recovered from that fiasco.

Greatest President EVAH!!!!! :sarcasm:

note his executive level mind you ... just the worker bees. If he can get enough ATCs to quit he can privatize the ATC with little opposition.

Pan Pan Blue Moon 442 losing oil pressure, engine heating up ... I am going to need a soft spot in minute.

Roger Blue Moon 442, change freq 123.45 and state credit card.