NATCA Bookshelf

NIW Today | 52 1 35-DAY GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN How did the government shutdown affect NATCA members? R » The shutdown eroded the layers of safety in the National Airspace System (NAS). Many safety activities that proactively reduce risk and increase the safety of the system were suspended. The NAS was less safe after the shutdown than before it began. R » The shutdown was damaging to the lives of air traffic controllers and other aviation safety professionals represented by NATCA. It was wrong to use them and other federal employees as pawns in a political fight. Congress and the White House must not allow another shutdown to happen. R » NATCA is working collaboratively with the FAA to bring safety processes back online that were suspended because of the shutdown, but it is harder to restart processes than it is to shut them down. R » The shutdown reinforced our strong belief that the status quo is broken. The constant funding crises that arise from a stop-and-go funding stream continue to wreak havoc on our system and perpetuate the current staffing crisis. R » The NAS requires a stable, predictable funding stream in order to adequately support air traffic control services, staffing, hiring and training, long-term modernization projects, preventative maintenance, ongoing modernization to the physical infrastructure, integration of new entrants, and the timely implementation of NextGen modernization projects. Q & A 2 HIRING AND STAFFING Is the NAS facing a critical staffing shortage? R » Yes. The FAA is at a 30-year low of certified professional controllers (CPCs). R » Controller staffing has fallen over 10% since 2011. R » Over 18% of our certified controller workforce (more than 1,900 CPCs) is eligible to retire immediately. R » If this staffing crisis continues, the FAA will be hard-pressed to maintain current air traffic capacity, let alone expand and modernize the system. This means fewer aircraft in the sky and a greater potential for delays. 3 How did the 35-day government shutdown affect hiring and staffing? R » The shutdown was a disaster for the FAA workforce, including air traffic controllers, traffic management coordinators, and other aviation safety professionals who worked without pay for more than a month. It also was disastrous for over 3,000 NATCA-represented FAA employees who were furloughed without pay. R » The FAA Training Academy in Oklahoma City was closed during the shutdown, and it took the FAA several weeks to restart those classes after the shutdown ended. R » The FAA suspended hiring and training for all new hires. Controller advanced skills classes also were canceled throughout the shutdown. R » Initially, the FAA's hiring target for FY 2019 was 1,431, but following the shutdown the Agency reduced its target to 907.

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