WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — A House subcommittee is hearing testimony Tuesday on U.S. air traffic control staffing shortages and technology and infrastructure woes faced by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Airlines for America, the nation’s largest airline industry trade group, has reported a shortage of about 3,500 air traffic controllers affecting airports nationwide.
Lawmakers are discussing “the critical need to invest in modernizing and adequately staffing the current system,” and hearing from labor leaders, aviation safety experts and the CEO of Airlines for America.
FAA probing ‘false alarms’ at DC airport
The hearing comes amid mounting scrutiny following several recent aviation incidents, including a near-collision last week at Chicago’s Midway International Airport involving a Southwest Airlines jet and a Jan. 29 crash at Washington-Reagan National Airport that killed 67 people after an American Airlines regional jet collided with an Army helicopter.
The FAA is also investigating false collision alerts issued to pilots while attempting to land at Reagan National Airport over the weekend, though no other aircraft were nearby. It is unclear why the alerts went out, the FAA said.
To address staffing shortages among air traffic controllers, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a hiring surge, with a 30% increase in starting salaries for those who attend the FAA academy. He noted the average starting salary is more than $160,000 per year.
NewsNation travel editor Peter Greenberg said the shortage of air traffic controllers dates back to 1981, when former President Ronald Reagan fired striking air traffic controllers and replaced them with military controllers.
“There was no provision by the FAA to understand retirement and rehiring, and they’ve never been able to catch up. So the fact that they’re 3,500 controllers short has been going on for four decades,” he said.
Greenberg added that three U.S. air traffic control centers are operating under 85% staffing, forcing controllers into mandatory overtime, which is problematic.
FAA OKs SpaceX test launch
Special government employee Elon Musk has called for retired air traffic controllers to return to work amid growing concerns over conflicts of interest as the Department of Government Efficiency attempts to overhaul the FAA.
The FAA has cleared Musk’s SpaceX for another test launch, weeks after a Starship explosion during a January test flight, despite the company failing to complete a mandatory investigation into the incident.
SpaceX was chosen to help upgrade the FAA’s air traffic control system, leading some Democrats, such as Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., to accuse Musk of “trying to interfere” with the U.S. air traffic control system.
While the FAA recently fired 350 staff members as part of a downsizing effort, Duffy asserts that none were air traffic controllers.
