Cuts Will Undermine Safety, Say Air Traffic Controllers Surveyed
More than 80 per cent of Canadian Air Traffic Controllers say public safety will be put at risk if NAV Canada proceeds with intended Area Control Centre layoffs and Air Traffic Control tower closures, according to a survey commissioned earlier this month by the Canadian Air Traffic Control Association (CATCA), which heard from 1,400 of Canada's 1,800 licensed controllers. Just over 40 per cent of controllers said the looming cuts pose a high risk to public safety, while roughly 39 per cent indicated there would be a moderate safety risk if the cuts go ahead. Notably, only two per cent of those surveyed said there is no safety risk.