A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/880046
COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT WORKING TO TRY AND PREVENT AN FAA SHUTDOWN As the Government Affairs Departmen t detailed above, FAA's authorization runs through Sept. 30. An extension is needed in order to avoid an FAA shutdown on Oct. 1. W e issued th is press release on Sept. 25, calling for swift passage of an FAA extension: "NATCA is concerned that once again, the FAA authorization process has turned into a game of political chicken. We must have a stable, predictable funding stream for the FAA and its employees to operate and maintain the safest, most efficient, most complex, most diverse National Airspace Syst em (NAS) in the world. "If FAA's authorization is not extended, employees will be furloughed and some FAA services will be suspended. The FAA also will lose the ability to generate revenue into the Airport and Airway Trust Fund through the collection of a viation ticket and fuel taxes. Even if Congress avoids an FAA shutdown, the preparation for a shutdown takes critical resources away from FAA's mission. This is especially unacceptable because it comes at a time when FAA employees have worked tirelessly to restore aviation services in areas that have been devastated by recent hurricanes in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. "The FAA should not be subject to shutdown threats, based on issues that have nothing to do with avi ation. This situation highlights the importance of NATCA's call for a stable, predictable funding stream that adequately supports air traffic control services, staffing, hiring and training, long - term modernization projects, preventative maintenance, and o ngoing modernization to the physical infrastructure. NATCA calls on Congress to quickly pass the FAA extension bill, The Disaster Tax Relief and Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2017, and maintain FAA operations without further interruption . " Backgro und: The lack of a stable, predictable funding stream for the NAS continues to be a major challenge. Prior to passage of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (P.L. 112 - 95), our 24/7 aviation system was forced to overcome 23 authorization extensions , including a partial shutdown. Since its expiration, the NAS also has experienced three more extensions. Additionally, in the past five years the FAA has experienced a partial shutdown, a complete government shutdown, as well as numerous threatened shutdo wns due to lapses or near - lapses in appropriations. The next potential FAA shutdown looms on Sept. 30. We have faced significant challenges during the last decade, because we have not had a stable, predictable funding stream. Nothing illustrates that more than the current 28 - year low of fully certified air traffic controllers. Controller staffing has been a major concern for years, but it reached a crisis level in 2015. The total number of fully certified professional controllers (CPCs) has dropped 10 perc ent since 2011 and continues to decline. The most recent FAA count indicates there are 10,595 CPCs. This number represents the disturbing continuation of a sharp five - year decline. Despite some incremental progress since late 2015, the current total of CPC s is more than 2,300 short of the FAA's overall operational target of 12,896. NATCA calls for the passage of a comprehensive FAA authorization act that meets NATCA's four core principles for reform: