Union: Chronic shortage of air traffic controllers a crisis

WASHINGTON -- A chronic shortage of controllers has reached a crisis that will lead to widespread flight delays if left unchecked, officials for the union that represents air traffic controllers said Tuesday.

The Federal Aviation Administration has failed to meet its hiring goals for controllers for five consecutive years, leaving the number of air traffic controllers at its lowest level in 27 years at a time when air traffic is increasing, National Air Traffic Controllers Association officials said at a news conference.

The number of "certified professional controllers" -- those who no longer are in training and can direct air traffic without assistance from a more experienced controller -- has declined 10 percent below the recent peak of 11,753 in September 2012 to 10,859 as of Aug. 22 of this year, the union said.

Trish Gilbert, a union vice president, likened the situation to April 2013, when automatic, government-wide spending cuts imposed by Congress forced the furlough of 10 percent of the controller workforce.

During the seven days the furlough was in place, 12,760 flights were delayed -- about three times the normal number. The disruptions were greatest at some of the nation's busiest airports.

Amid complaints from disgruntled travelers, Congress passed an exception to the budget cuts for controllers.

Meanwhile, of the 10,859 certified controllers, 30 percent are eligible to retire, Gilbert said.

She denied the union simply wants to increase its numbers.

"We see that they are in dire straits, and therefore we must speak up," she said. "We have far too few controllers in our towers and radars rooms."

FAA officials didn't immediately reply to a request for comment.

The shortage has meant controllers at some of the nation's busiest air traffic facilities have been working six-day work weeks for years, union officials said.

They said safety isn't at risk, but they also acknowledged controllers' work schedules are causing widespread chronic fatigue.

NASA warned the FAA four years ago chronic controller fatigue was undermining safety and urged the agency to eliminate six-day work weeks as soon as possible.

The FAA had asked NASA to study controller scheduling and its effect on fatigue.