Notes Number Of Experienced Controllers At 15-Year Low

You knew this was coming. Hot on the heels of the FAA's announcement last week the agency had exceeded its air traffic controller staffing targets for Fiscal Year 2007, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association notes it's not the number of new hires that should concern the FAA, and air travelers... but rather the dearth of experienced controllers at the helm.

"A record number of air traffic controller retirements and total attrition in fiscal year 2007, fueled by outrage over the lack of a contract, soared past Federal Aviation Administration projections by 30 percent and has left the country with both a 15-year low in the number of fully certified controllers on the job and a glut of new hires -- many with no air traffic control experience or education -- that the FAA is failing to train either effectively or efficiently," NATCA tells ANN.

The union -- locked in a bitter fight with the FAA over the contract imposed on controllers by the agency last year, which NATCA considers invalid -- says there were 856 retirements in FY2007 -- representing 7.4 percent of the total experienced controller workforce. Only 16 of those were mandatory, the union says.

NATCA claims that's the fourth straight year the FAA fell short of accurately predicting retirements; the agency missed its FY2007 target by 33 percent, the union says.

"There are 11,256 fully trained and certified controllers working at the FAA’s 314 facilities," the union says. "That’s a four percent decline from one year ago and the lowest total of experienced controllers since 1992 (10,696)."

NATCA President Patrick Forrey calls the situation "a problem entirely of the FAA's making."

"It didn’t have to happen. We do not have a contract and that is taking a very serious toll on the controller workforce and the nation’s aviation system," Forrey said. "Only once in our nation’s history have we seen conditions in our air traffic control facilities that are as acrimonious, overworked, overstressed, demoralized and angry as we do today and that was in the period leading up to the 1981 PATCO strike. There is only one possible solution to this crisis: We must have a contract."

NATCA also notes total controller attrition in FY07 was 1,558 -- which the union says nearly wipes out any net gains from the FAA's reported number of new hires. As ANN reported, the FAA claims "over 1,800" new controller hires for FY2007.

In a Monday news conference, NATCA also noted 201 resignations, 126 removals, 10 deaths... and a surprising 365 promotions to FAA supervisory positions in FY '07. The promotions exceeded FAA projections by nearly double... which NATCA says provides additional proof the lack of a contract fueled the attrition surge, as becoming an FAA supervisor is the only way a fully certified controller can earn a pay raise, and receive cash bonuses and other benefits under the current, imposed contract.

FMI: www.natca.org/mediacenter/FY2007staffing.msp