Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for being a part of
this important event and thank you for the invitation to be here
with you to discuss three of my favorite subjects: The air traffic
control system, safety, and modernization.
I am speaking to you today on behalf of the 14,000 air traffic
controllers and 5,000 other dedicated safety professionals the
National Air Traffic Controllers Association represents.
This summer, we are celebrating our 20th anniversary of service
to the American flying public and our motto remains the same:
Safety above all.
Nothing else matters to us as we work on the front lines of the
daily challenge to keep our skies safe, secure and efficient as
possible.
Air traffic controllers
are highly-skilled, dedicated, supremely passionate about what they
do, and eager to lend their expertise in planning for the future,
and modernizing our air traffic control system.
Controllers love modernization and love the newest, most modern
equipment, whether it’s the GPS in their cars, the iPhones
strapped to their belts or the new STARS displays they have in
their radar control rooms.
The title of this panel is "Next Generation Air Traffic
Control," and air traffic controllers are excited about those five
words. We are eager to be involved. There is only one problem
and it’s a biggie...
The Federal Aviation Administration does not WANT us... Why?
Well, you’ll have to ask them. But it’s obvious to me
that excluding controllers is part of their agenda to run the air
traffic control system more like a business.
I mean, who wants those pesky controllers interfering with the
development and implementation of equipment and procedures
controllers will need to handle the increased capacity our airspace
system demands?
After all, as safety watchdogs and systems experts we might see
something that won’t work or won’t help us safely and
efficiently handled the demands of tomorrow... and that could
interfere with the bottom line.
First they sent home every one of our dozens of controllers that
worked as technical experts on modernization programs, new
equipment testing and rollout plans, airspace redesign initiatives,
and new air traffic procedures.
Then, the FAA imposed work and pay rules on us Labor Day weekend
last year, after completely destroying the fair collective
bargaining process.
They gave their managers authoritative and aggressive free
reign, to run roughshod over the workforce that is directly
responsible for the FAA’s ability to call our system the
world’s safest.
If it sounds like I’m angry, I am... Because, we see
almost daily another example of how the FAA is jeopardizing the
safety and success of new equipment and procedures, by failing to
work with the air traffic controllers who will be using this
equipment and these procedures.
Here in Texas, we are working to try and halt the FAA’s
plan to consolidate Beaumont Terminal Radar Approach Control into
the Houston TRACON, until there is a full and open process for all
stake holders to exam the proposed move.
It is critical that we address safety, operational, and staffing
issues associated with any consolidation effort.
Let me be clear, NATCA supports consolidations where they make
sense. In the case of Beaumont, the FAA agreed to participate in a
public meeting that took place on Tuesday. But the FAA has no
intention of listening to the stakeholders...
You see, they had
already scheduled training for Houston controllers to learn how to
take over Beaumont’s airspace, and even had the audacity to
move up that training to Monday, one day before the public meeting
took place.
We have found one way to get around the FAA’s efforts to
keep us away from modernization projects. And that is to work
directly with the vendors that are manufacturing the air traffic
control equipment of tomorrow.
One notable example is a ground radar system known as ASDE-X. We
have been working with the Sensis Corporation to work out issues
and potential problems at many airports around the country.
We are looking forward to the commissioning of two ASDE-X sites
later this month; at Chicago O’Hare and Charlotte Douglas
International Airport.
The updated system, which already provides enhanced runway
safety measures, will provide controllers with information which
may reduce departure delays off the airport, due to the departure
transitions now being displayed to the controller on the radar.
This is an example of using new technology to assist air traffic
controllers working in control towers, by providing more
information without increasing workload.
There is a large and diverse chorus of supporters of
NATCA’s position, that the best modernization efforts involve
ALL stakeholders, including controllers.
For many years, the Government Accountability Office has
consistently reported, that failing to involve air traffic
controllers in the technology development process to resolve tricky
human factors issues, has led to costly reworks and delays.
The Inspector General has noted that the need for focused "human
factors" research has important safety implications.
As House Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Jerry Costello stated in
a hearing on modernization issues in May, "common sense would
suggest that the people that will be using and maintaining this new
technology should be involved in its development."
Which brings us to NextGen, the Next Generation air traffic
control system. NATCA has been shut out by the FAA on all efforts
to work on NextGen.
But we are now working directly again with the Joint Planning
Development Office, which is spearheading the efforts to develop
NextGen. NATCA has also joined RTCA, and reinserted our
participation with the NGATS Institute.
NATCA strongly supports participating in a collaborative process
with the FAA in the development of NextGen, as well as the
agency’s new modernization programs and initiatives.
Chairman Costello’s colleague across the aisle on the
House Aviation Subcommittee, Republican Ranking Member Tom Petri of
Wisconsin, wrote in the Roll Call newspaper last month that, "The
manufacturers, airlines, operators, airline employees and FAA
employees all share an interest in the success of the new system
and will contribute immensely to its effective operation. As such,
it is critical that the FAA include the aviation stakeholders in
the development of the new system. Only with such collaboration
will the FAA be able to deliver the best service to the flying
public."
Well, we couldn’t agree more with Ranking Member
Petri.
While we press for more collaboration on modernization, I must
point out to you the importance of how the air traffic control
system is being run right now... ..
Because like it or not, this is the system we have for the next
several years, possibly another decade or more, until NextGen
becomes a reality and ground infrastructure is expanded to
accommodate more traffic.
And the system we have, ladies and gentlemen, is steadily
eroding due to critically low staffing numbers within all work
forces and in all segments of the FAA.
But there is something that can be done about it.
Currently, we are urging Congressional passage of an FAA
Reauthorization bill that would send us back to the contract
negotiating table with the FAA, to fix the unfair process that led
to imposed work and pay rules on several NATCA bargaining units
last year, and worsened an already critical controller staffing
shortage.
This language is critical because it would provide an incentive
for veteran controllers to stay on the job long enough, to keep the
system running, and to train their replacements.
Right now, the massive exodus of controllers is eroding the
safety foundation of the system, and delaying flights.
It has resulted in 1,100 fewer total controllers on the job
since shortly after 9/11, and an alarming 1,300 fewer fully
certified controllers in the same time frame, despite a huge
increase in traffic, which according to the FAA and the airlines,
has overwhelmed the system.
Here in Dallas for example, a worsening shortage of air traffic
controllers at several facilities is a major concern to everyone
except the FAA.
We are worried about the effects on our controllers’
ability to remain sharp, focused and well-rested, as they battle
thunderstorms, congestion, and a summer travel season that has been
marked by record delays thus far.
Does it not pique anyone’s interest that summer weather
hasn’t changed, yet we are experiencing record delays...
Maybe the shortage of flight crews and controllers has something
to do with that.
At Dallas TRACON, there are currently 68 fully certified
controllers on staff. There should be over 100.
The understaffing has resulted in increased usage of overtime by
FAA management officials, to desperately try and staff the
positions. From January through this month, the FAA is slated to
use $444,000 worth of overtime to cover for a lack of staffing.
Of the 68 controllers working today, 80 percent now are forced
to work OT, resulting in longer periods on position, longer work
weeks, and increased fatigue.
The situation is likely to get worse before it gets better.
While two trainees are scheduled to be fully certified this
year, at least five fully certified controllers will retire, with
approximately 10 more retirements in 2008. The other trainees have
at least two years of training left.
At DFW Tower, there are 44 fully certified controllers on staff,
along with seven trainees. The 51 total is eight short of what is
needed to safely staff the facility.
And at Fort Worth En
Route Center, there are currently 290 fully certified controllers
on board, and 65 more in training, which is well short of safe
staffing levels. The FAA must overcome this shortage by routinely
combining sectors of airspace, resulting in controllers working
more than one sector at a time.
The staffing numbers at Las Vegas approach, one of the
country’s fastest growing airports is very disconcerting.
Training is very sporadic and they can no longer staff the facility
without using partially certified trainees.
In 2003, the staffing number for Las Vegas TRACON was 56. Today,
the FAA staffing range for certified controllers is a maximum of
52. So while their traffic has increased by approximately 25%, the
staffing has been decreased by the FAA. And the only explanation to
this illogical activity is a bottom line business approach to ATC
services.
The controller schedule beginning this October contains only 23
CPC's. The only way Vegas is able to staff the facility, is to use
trainees that are partially certified, which stops their training.
There are currently 18 trainees in the building. As of October, Las
Vegas TRACON will have more trainees than instructors!
What better way to pull the wool over the eyes of the American
public, than for the FAA to flood the media about NextGen. This is
all designed to draw your attention away from the absolute travesty
the ATC system has degraded to.
Here in Dallas is also where news was made last month in the
form of a report issued by the Office of Special Counsel, that
stated that FAA management officials covered up operational errors
made by controllers who were diligent and honest in reporting
them.
The special investigator in charge wrote in his summary that,
quote, "these allegations expose a continuing pattern by FAA
management of abuse of the basic measures of protection meant to
insulate the flying public from disasters that very well may be
preventable."
We agree with the OSC, that by manipulating data and events, so
that operational errors and deviations are not accurately reported,
FAA officials directly affect the statistical analysis of air
traffic safety.
So before we as a nation turn our full attention to NextGen, and
the future aviation system we hope to enjoy, we must work to ensure
that the system we have to use today, to drive our economy and get
us where we need to go, remains the safest in the world and one
where no corners are cut in a foolish rush to institute business
agendas over safety practices.
Thank you and I look forward to addressing the issues in this
panel.