GAO Report Says that Only 69 Aviation Meteorologists Work Alongside ATC

A federal watchdog says the FAA is running the nation’s air traffic system with fewer weather experts than ever, and the trend is not looking encouraging. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) report claims that just 69 aviation meteorologists are currently stationed alongside air traffic controllers.

This figure is down from an average of 81 over the past five years… and well below the 90 once promised under a 2016 FAA–National Weather Service agreement.

These specialists are a critical part of the US airspace, working inside air traffic control centers to advise controllers on the weather that shapes decisions for roughly 45,000 daily flights. Ideally, each of the country’s 21 centers would have four meteorologists. In reality, most have one or two, and five centers don’t even have a supervisory meteorologist. The GAO report cited burnout, fatigue, and low morale reported by the remaining staff while filling gaps with overtime and skipped leave.

The FAA’s official explanation is “natural attrition.” The union representing meteorologists, however, argues that the agency is deliberately limiting their numbers. They reference the fact that it must reimburse the National Weather Service for the cost of assigning them, giving financial motivation to neglect staffing. Meanwhile, short-staffed centers are borrowing meteorologists or pulling in local forecasters who may be less familiar with airline specifics.

As a bit of historical insight, the entire meteorology program exists because of a weather-related crash. In 1977, Southern Airways Flight 242 flew into a thunderstorm and lost both engines, killing 71 people. The NWS began embedding meteorologists with controllers to prevent this kind of lapse. Now, nearly half a century later, the GAO says the FAA “has not fully identified the risks of having fewer meteorologists,” nor “developed specific actions that could be taken more immediately to address any such risks.”

The timing reflects a broader FAA trend. Almost every US air traffic control facility is understaffed, a separate GAO report alleged, and much of the agency is still running on decades-old technology despite efforts to modernize. Nevertheless, the FAA has shared plans to reduce the number of aviation meteorologists to 64 next year, justifying it by implementing “advances in technology”.

FMI: www.faa.gov