Air controllers claim staffing at dire levels

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Air controllers claim staffing at dire levels

December 14, 1999

BY GILBERT JIMENEZ AND ABDON M. PALLASCH STAFF REPORTERS

Flights to, from and over Chicago are in the hands of fatigued air traffic controllers forced to work six-day weeks because the FAA lacks funds to properly train fully qualified replacements, controllers charged Monday.

Union officials released a Federal Aviation Administration internal report to bolster their charges about staff shortages. They said flight delays and safety risks result.

In response to questions about the report, the FAA said it is working with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association to train new controllers. In a brief statement, the agency said a "request for additional training funds is under review at the FAA regional and national levels with input from NATCA."

The agency, however, did not address other concerns raised by the union Monday. It did not deny the report existed.

According to the union, the cash-strapped FAA's Chicago Air Route Traffic Control Center in Aurora is increasing its use of uncertified controller trainees to fill in for certified staffers.

"The area often doesn't even have anyone available for [overtime] and will go into the shift with less [certified air traffic controllers] than desirable and will function `the best we can,' " according to the FAA report.

Because of the shortage, trainees must spend a preponderance of their time handling planes--albeit supervised--instead of training. As a result, it now takes five years rather than the normal three before trainees are fully qualified.

The Aurora center, which polices the air for five midwestern states, has 355 certified controllers and 71 trainees. The staffing crunch is shortchanging the new hires on the training needed to handle some of the busiest skies in the nation, said union local president Ronald Downen.

In addition, while certified controllers leave at the rate of 15 per year, only 10 trainees are being certified per year.

The FAA report and controllers said the solution is more money for training and overtime.

Bryan Zilonis, the union local vice president, said he's had to work so many six-day weeks that he accidentally allowed two planes approaching Midway Airport to come within four miles of each other, he said.

-- Homer Beanfang (Bats@inbellfry.com), December 14, 1999

Answers

Ah, just sack the lot and replace them with computers. Computers are our friends. We love computers. :(

-- Servant (public_service@yahoo.com), December 14, 1999.

And would add further that CNN reported recently that the NTSB is at the "breaking point" of exhaustion/staffing from investigating all the crashes of the past couple years. Original article was found at cnn.com/1999/US/12/06/ntsb.report. Great post on infrastructure crisis

-- Pauline Revere (messenger@towncrier.com), December 14, 1999.

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