Air Traffic Controller Shortage Bites

    With budget cutbacks and air traffic controllers retiring in higher numbers, New York area airport towers are understaffed by 30 percent, and will face increased flight delays and safety problems unless Congress and the Bush administration take "drastic" steps to boost funding, Sen. Charles Schumer said. Schumer said an FAA-ordered cutback in overtime pay for controllers substituting for absent co-workers has encouraged a "spike" in retirements, at the same time that trainee recruiting is affected by a reduction in entry-level salaries.
    The towers at area airports are understaffed by as much as 30 percent, mostly due to a growing number of retiring controllers, he said. The FAA has estimated that 7,100 controllers, or about 45 percent of its workforce, will retire by 2011, he said, adding that starting salaries for controllers have been cut, making recruiting harder. Saying the FAA had reduced its fiscal-year 2008 budget for recruitment, training and hiring from $18.2 million to $15.9 million, he urged the Senate Appropriations Committee to increase that funding to $47.7 million.
    "Controllers are the eyes and ears of airport safety," Schumer said. "Last year, we saw that a reduction in controllers results in a spike in the number of close calls and even tragic accidents." An FAA spokeswoman said the senator was using outdated staff levels. "We're not understaffed," said FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown. "We are well staffed in New York City's airports." She said the FAA hired 1,100 controllers in 2006 and expects to hire 1,300 this year. MORE