Last week, we worke d with NATCA Leadership and the Government Affairs
Department to launch a comprehensive media campaign to draw attention to new data
that shows how critical the nationwide staffing shortage has become.
NATCA's main call to action : We are calling for a Co ngressional hearing to
examine the chronic understaffing of the nation's air traffic control 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 show s the agency
will miss its controller hiring goal for fiscal year 2015. This will be the 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 F AA 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 Pres s Release : Please click here .
Fact Sheet : National controller staff ing numbers .
Fact Sheet : Controller staffing crisis at major hubs .
NATCA's Oct. 13 Press Roundtable : On Oct. 13, we hosted a roundtable press
briefi ng for several D.C. - based national aviation reporters, including Joan Lowy of the
Associated 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
teleconf erence.
NATCA Executive Vice President Trish Gilbert led the discussion and opened
with 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 .
Below are a few of the most notable and widely run press cli ps that enabled us to
make a large, nationwide impression throughout the course of last week on this
important issue:
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
UNION: CHRONIC SHORTAGE OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS A CRISIS
ABC NEWS
Air Traffic Control 'Staffing Crisis' Could Lead to Flight Delays, Union Warns
USA TODAY
Air - traffic controllers: Staff shortages could lead to flight delays
BLOOMBERG BUSINESS
NYC Airports Among Worst for Co ntroller Shortage, Union Says
CNN MONEY.COM
Story about staffing shortage
CNN
Story about staffing shortage, with lead in by Jake Tapper
STAYIN G UP TO DATE WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDING AND FAA
REAUTHORIZATION ISSUES : T he critically important issues of government funding
and Congressional actions and inactions , detailed above in the Government Affairs
update, will return to the front burner of discuss ion s in just a few short weeks. While the
FAA authorization extension r uns through March 2016, the CR funding the government
will expire in early December. A shutdown threat could return.
The Communications Department is continuing to engage in media activity where
appropriate on these topics and inform our members of importa nt news and up dates
through a variety of ways .
Here are ways you can keep up with news and information:
