COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT
STAFFING REACHES CRITICAL LEVEL : NAT CA SPEAKS OUT PUBLICLY BY
LAUNCHING LARGE - SCALE NATIONAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN
Last week, we worked with NATCA Leadership and the Government Affairs
Department to put together a comprehensive media campaign to draw attention to new
data that shows how critical t he nationwide staffing shortage has become. We launched
the campaign this past Tuesday, Oct. 13. Here's an overview:
NATCA's main call to action : We are calling for a Congressional hearing to
examine the chronic understaffing of the nation's air traffic c ontrol facilities.
What the FAA data shows : New data we obtained shows that national staffing
totals have fallen nearly 10 percent since 2011. In addition, FAA data shows the agency
will miss its controller hiring goal for fiscal year 2015. This will be t he fifth consecutive
fiscal year in which the FAA has not hired enough air traffic controllers to keep up with
the pace of workforce attrition. As of Aug. 22, 2015, the FAA had only hired 1,178 of a
planned 1,772 controllers, putting the agency 34 percent behind its goal.
Why it could get worse before it gets better : Of the 10,859 certified controllers,
30 percent are eligible to retire at any time.
NATCA's Oct. 13 Press Release : Please click here .
Fact Sheet : National controller staffing numbers .
Fact Sheet : Controller staffing crisis at major hubs .
NATCA's Oct. 13 Press Roundtable : On Oct. 13, we hosted a roundtable press
briefing for several D.C. - based national aviation reporters, including Joan Lowy of the
Asso ciated Press, Alan Levin of Bloomberg Business, Bart Jansen of USA Today, Erin
Dooley of ABC News, and also Susan Carey of the Wall Street Journal who joined via
teleconference.
NATCA Executive Vice President Trish Gilbert led the discussion and opened
w ith rema rks that outlined the issue, NATCA's concerns, and the most pertinent data.
You can read a transcript of Trish's opening statement here .
The reporters all filed stori es within hours of the meeting and we saw a large
number of stories across the country by mid - afternoon on Oct. 13. The Associated Press
story, in particular, was run in more than 600 outlets across the country by dinner time
on Oct. 13. Below are the pres s clips we found over the course of the first two days after
our press roundtable:
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
UNION: CHRONIC SHORTAGE OF AIR TR AFFIC CONTROLLERS A CRISIS
(NOTE: Over 600 local outlets worldwide have run this AP story. The New York
Times also ran the AP story yesterday.)
ABC NEWS
Air Traffic Control 'Staffing Crisis' Could Lead to Flight Delays, Union Warns
THE HILL
Union (NATCA) presses for hearing on air traffic controller staffing levels
USA TODAY
Air - traffic controllers: Staff shortages could lead to flight delays
BLOOMBERG BUSINESS
NYC Airports Among Worst for Controller Shortage, Union Says
CNN MONEY.COM
Story about staffing shortage
CNN
