Ninety-nine percent of the air traffic control facilities in the United States are operating below recommended staffing levels, a New York Times analysis has found.
The ongoing crisis at Newark Liberty International Airport has put a spotlight on the prolonged nationwide shortage of air traffic controllers. As of May 7, only two of 313 facilities — one in Akron, Ohio, and another in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. — met staffing targets set by the Federal Aviation Administration and the union representing controllers, according to union data obtained by The Times.
Nearly all air traffic control facilities are understaffed
The shortage affecting Newark’s airspace is acute. There are only 22 certified controllers employed at one facility that guides planes in and out of Newark, which is significantly short of the staffing target of 38, according to the F.A.A.
At times, even fewer controllers are available to work. As little as three air traffic controllers were scheduled during a period on Monday evening at the facility that guides planes in and out of Newark — far short of the target of 14 for that shift.
To make up for the shortfall, many controllers are required to work a significant amount of overtime. As a result, many controllers report that they are fatigued and demoralized, a combination that some fear could lead to a catastrophic mistake.
A spate of near misses in recent years, combined with the fatal collision of a jet with an Army helicopter in January and a series of technology breakdowns as recently as this week, have added to growing concern about a critical part of the nation’s air safety infrastructure that is often the last line of defense against crashes.
In a statement, the F.A.A. said that “growing the nation’s air traffic controller workforce is a top priority for the F.A.A. Their work is critical to meeting our safety mission. During the hiring surge that closed on March 17, we received more than 10,000 applications. More than 8,300 of those were referred to testing.”
Across the country, controller shortages have become untenable, with no quick fixes in sight. Training to become an air traffic controller is a lengthy, highly specialized process that requires certification specific to each facility and its surrounding airspace, meaning controllers cannot be automatically reassigned to the location where they are most needed. In the New York region, which includes three of the busiest airports in the country, along with multiple private airports, certification takes between two and four years, depending on the facility.
Shortfalls in the air traffic control trainee pipeline
New York area
Los Angeles area
Atlanta area
Chicago area
Houston area
Current and former air traffic controllers who have handled traffic for Newark said they would avoid flying in and out of the airport, for reasons of both convenience and safety. One current controller advised travelers to choose a different airport, noting that flights in and out of Newark were more likely to face delays. A former controller said safety risk factors had increased.
The Newark facility is one of the highest-profile airports in the country, typically handling around 1,000 planes each day, according to data released by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
