Battle Over Flight Service Contract Up For Re-Evaluation

The FAA's decision to outsource its Flight Standards Service entered the re-evaluation phase Wednesday, as some 2,000 specialists whose jobs are on the line accuse the agency of oversight and procedural errors.

Under a contract the FAA signed with Lockheed-Martin, the government is supposed to hand over FSS operations on October 1st. But in their appeal, filed with the FAA's Office of Dispute Resolution for Acquisitions, specialists want the government to take another look at the decision. The controllers claim those prosedural and oversight errors mentioned in their appeal are substantial enough to delay implementation of the outsourcing contract beyond October 1st.

Some critics of the move question the flight specialists' motives, wondering where's the beef, since they've been guaranteed jobs for the next three years. So far, Lockheed says about 900 controllers have applied to do their jobs in the private sector.

"These job offers will put the air traffic control specialists in a conflicted and confused position," union attorney Cyrus Phillips IV wrote in the appeal. "They will have stress about whether to accept the job in lieu of not having a job, or whether to turn down the job offer awaiting the outcome of this contest." The appeal was quoted by the online journal GovExec.com. "This certain prospect of immediate, irreparable injury is sufficient to compel the immediate suspension of further procurement activities by Lockheed Martin."

As the appeal begins its slow crawl through the FAA bureaucracy, agency leaders are asking flight specialists to stay on task. "I realize that this contest will create more questions and uncertainty for our employees," the FAA's James Washington wrote in an e-mail to the flight specialists. "I know the next few weeks and months will be difficult. Please continue to do what you have always done - provide outstanding service for our customers."

FMI: www.faa.gov