Crisis in air traffic: more than 90% of the control towers in the US operate with insufficient personnel
More than 90% of the Control towers In United States airports they operate with staffing below of the standards established by the FAA and the National Association of Air Traffic Controllers (NATCA)according to official data analyzed by CBS News.
The shortage of air traffic controlle has generated concerns about the operational security in the country’s aviation system. The lack of fully trained personnel can affect the efficient management of air traffic, increase the workload of the available operators and cause flight delays.
The problem gained relevance after air accident It happened January 29, 2025when a plane from American Airlines collided with a Black Hawk helicopter from the US Army. in the vicinity of Reagan National Airportin Washington, dc the clash left 67 Deaths. According to CBS Newsat the time of the incident only one controller supervised the operations of helicopters and some airplanes in the airport tower, when the regulations establish that the task must be performed by two people.
The report of the FAA indicates that only the 2% of the towers meet the staff provision objectives by 2024 if only completely trained controllers are considered. This percentage rises to 8% when apprentices are included in training. The document details that none of the 21 air traffic control centersin charge of managing flights at altitude, reached the required levels of personnel.
According to the analysis of CBS News based on data from the FAA corresponding to fiscal year 2023, the US Air Traffic System has a 72% of the necessary controllers if only those fully trained are counted. The figure amounts to 87% By including apprentices in training. The difference is equivalent to between 3,000 and 4,000 controllers Less of the objectives established by the FAA and Natca.
The report of the FAA points out that Covid-19 pandemia It affected the hiring and formation of new controllers. In its report, the agency mentions that “in order to protect employees and guarantee the continuity of operations, certain activities were removed or significantly reduced in air traffic control facilities.” The decrease in work training sessions also impacted the availability of certified drivers.
FAA staff endowment standards include two reference levels: a minimum standard defined by the agency and a higher objective agreed with the driver’s union. According to CBS Newshe 45% of the towers comply with the minimum standard of the FAA if only trained controllers are counted, while the 59% Reach this threshold if the apprentices are added.
The control tower of the Reagan National Airportwhere the air collision occurred, is part of the facilities with endowment of personnel lower than the recommended standards. FAA has not confirmed whether the lack of personnel contributed directly to the incident, although sources consulted by CBS News They have indicated that the presence of a single controller in the tower during the accident did not comply with the established procedures.
Personnel deficit also affects Air traffic control centerswhich manage aircraft traffic at altitude and supervise flights between airports. None of these centers reached the levels of personnel recommended by the FAA and Natca working group.
The president of NatcaNick Daniels declared CBS News that even if the FAA will hire 2,000 new controllers at this time, only half of them would complete their certification within two or three yearsdue to the duration of the training process.
The annual report of the FAA indicates that the personnel objective by 2024 is approximately 14,600 controllers. Currently, the country’s air traffic system operates with a deficit that oscillates between 3,000 and 4,000 controllersdepending on whether or not the apprentices are included. The agency has not detailed specific plans to accelerate the hiring or training of new operators in response to this situation.
