Air traffic controller shortage collides with high summer travel – Washington Examiner

More people will fly to domestic and international destinations this summer than ever before, but U.S. airlines have serious concerns the government has failed to staff air traffic control towers adequately.

Airlines for America, or A4A, an industry trade organization that represents U.S. airlines, has accused the Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration of failing to take the concern seriously.

“We have been sounding the alarm on this issue for more than a year that our nation’s air traffic control radar facilities are understaffed and overworked,” A4A President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio said in a statement. “It’s past time Secretary Buttigieg and Administrator Whitaker take action to solve this crisis and increase staffing.”

Bookings are up 6% from last summer and is welcomed news to the aviation industry as it continues to climb out of the pandemic. A4A expects 271 million passengers across June, July and August.

The organization’s senior vice president of communications said in a statement that while airline carriers have adjusted their schedules and added flights to ensure a seamless transition into summer, one federal agency has failed to do its part.

A4A said the FAA failing to staff air traffic control towers adequately will cause major upsets for airlines and passengers alike.

“The lack of ATC staffing has a direct impact on airline operations and the travelling public, which is especially concerning as we head into another record-setting summer travel period,” Calio said.

The FAA has insisted that it is prepared for the higher-than-normal summer travel months.

“The FAA is working every day to make sure you get to your destination safely and on time, especially as more people than ever gear up to fly this summer,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said in a statement. “While we can’t control the weather — which is the number one reason for delays — we plan for and work around convective conditions. And to improve safety and enhance efficient operations on the runway, we are installing innovative new surface surveillance technologies at airports around the nation.” 

The Transportation Security Administration, a federal agency within the Department of Homeland Security responsible for screening passengers before takeoff, said it is also prepared.

“In close coordination with airport, airline and travel partners, we are more than ready to handle this summer’s increased travel volumes,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a statement.

But overworked and understaffed air traffic control towers that fall under the FAA and DOT can put passengers and flight crew at risk. The latest FAA Controller Workforce Plan indicated the agency was 3,000 controllers short.

“In a recent 12-month period, there were 300 accounts of near collisions involving commercial carriers. That’s almost one near miss per day,” Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) said during a Senate hearing last November. “The near misses we’ve been seeing recently are not normal. They’re a warning that our aviation system is under stress.

“Coupled with a surge in demand, [it] created essentially a perfect storm that’s eroded the system safety margins down to dangerously thin levels and far too many near misses,” Duckworth said.

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Runway incursions and near misses between commercial planes have fluctuated through the years, but fiscal 2023, which ended last September, was one of the worst in a decade, reaching 23 incidents at U.S. airports, up from eight in 2017, according to data shared at the Senate hearing.

The shortage of air traffic controllers in particular has forced most controllers to work six-day weeks of 60 hours, often rotating from day and night shifts, negatively affecting circadian rhythm, according to witness testimony.