Thu, Feb 02, 2012
Says FAA Has Agreed With Three Of Five Recommendations.
A report issued by the Department of Transportation Inspector
General on the FAA's oversight of staffing and training at its most
critical air traffic control facilities indicates that staffing
levels and training at some of the nations' most critical Air
Traffic Control facilities is not up to par.
DOT IG Calvin Scovel
The IG's office conducted its review at the request of the
Chairman and Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related
Agencies. It says that, after identifying 21 critical facilities,
it found that enhanced oversight of staffing and training at FAA's
critical facilities is needed to maintain continuity of air traffic
operations. Critical facilities face a potential shortage of
certified professional controllers, as they have higher rates of
retirement eligibility, controllers-in-training, and training
attrition than other facilities nationwide.
The report indicated that those "critical" facilities include
New York, Atlanta, Chicago, and Southern California. The report
indicates that in 15 of 21 critical facilities, there was a higher
percentage of controllers in training than the national average of
25 percent. And, over the two year period encompassing fiscal years
2008-2010, there was a trainee attrition rate of nearly 40 percent
at critical facilities.
In its executive summary, the IG's office says that as the FAA
begins deploying Next Generation Air Transportation System
(NextGen) technologies, critical facilities will require even more
training resources for both veteran and new controllers. The IG's
office said it made five recommendations to assist FAA in ensuring
the continuity of operations at its most critical facilities, and
FAA concurred or partially concurred with all five. Based on
FAA’s response, it is are closing three recommendations, and
consider the remaining two resolved but open pending completion of
planned actions.
But television station KNSD in San Diego reports that the FAA
disputes the IGs findings, saying it is on target with hiring and
training Certified Professional Controllers. "The FAA continues to
meet overall goals for hiring, training time to certification and
number of certified controllers,” it said in a statement.
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