JonnyKnoxville
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Attrition rate of new air-traffic controllers more than doubles
USA TODAY
June 12, 2008
New air-traffic controllers are leaving at dramaticallyhigher rates this year, raising concerns about the government's abilityto deal with a surge of retirements, a government watchdog group toldCongress Wednesday.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has stepped uphiring in anticipation of the departure of at least 15,000 controllersover the next 10 years. The agency expects to hire 1,877 controllersthis year alone.
However, the Government Accountability Office (GAO)testified before the House Aviation Subcommittee that FAA projects 14%of the new hires will leave this fiscal year. That rate is more thandouble the 6% who washed out in 2006 and well above the 9% who leftlast year, GAO said.
The higher attrition rate of controllers in trainingthreatens to undermine FAA's attempts to keep up with growingretirements and wastes money, said Gerald Dillingham, GAO's director ofaviation issues. The FAA will spend $78,000 to train each newcontroller this year.
"We don't have that kind of time or money," Dillinghamsaid. "That is something that needs to be dealt with immediately. It'slike pouring water in a bucket with a hole in it."
The FAA is keeping pace with the need for new controllers,even taking into account the departure of new hires, said the FAA's airtraffic chief Hank Krakowski. The FAA has aggressively sought newapplicants and is hiring more people than it needs to stay ahead ofretirements and other controller departures, he said.
Because thousands of controllers were hired within a fewyears after President Reagan fired the nation's controller workforce in1981, large numbers are expected to retire in the next decade. Theretirements have been happening at a faster rate than the FAAanticipated after the agency imposed a contract on controllers thatfroze pay and lowered salaries for new hires.
Patrick Forrey, president of the National Air TrafficControllers Association, told lawmakers that one reason so manycontroller trainees are leaving the agency is because of the low wages.Forrey charges that there is a shortage of fully trained controllers.
"This country is facing an air-traffic control staffing crisis," Forrey said. "The crisis is real."
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2008-06-11-faa_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip
USA TODAY
June 12, 2008
New air-traffic controllers are leaving at dramaticallyhigher rates this year, raising concerns about the government's abilityto deal with a surge of retirements, a government watchdog group toldCongress Wednesday.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has stepped uphiring in anticipation of the departure of at least 15,000 controllersover the next 10 years. The agency expects to hire 1,877 controllersthis year alone.
However, the Government Accountability Office (GAO)testified before the House Aviation Subcommittee that FAA projects 14%of the new hires will leave this fiscal year. That rate is more thandouble the 6% who washed out in 2006 and well above the 9% who leftlast year, GAO said.
The higher attrition rate of controllers in trainingthreatens to undermine FAA's attempts to keep up with growingretirements and wastes money, said Gerald Dillingham, GAO's director ofaviation issues. The FAA will spend $78,000 to train each newcontroller this year.
"We don't have that kind of time or money," Dillinghamsaid. "That is something that needs to be dealt with immediately. It'slike pouring water in a bucket with a hole in it."
The FAA is keeping pace with the need for new controllers,even taking into account the departure of new hires, said the FAA's airtraffic chief Hank Krakowski. The FAA has aggressively sought newapplicants and is hiring more people than it needs to stay ahead ofretirements and other controller departures, he said.
Because thousands of controllers were hired within a fewyears after President Reagan fired the nation's controller workforce in1981, large numbers are expected to retire in the next decade. Theretirements have been happening at a faster rate than the FAAanticipated after the agency imposed a contract on controllers thatfroze pay and lowered salaries for new hires.
Patrick Forrey, president of the National Air TrafficControllers Association, told lawmakers that one reason so manycontroller trainees are leaving the agency is because of the low wages.Forrey charges that there is a shortage of fully trained controllers.
"This country is facing an air-traffic control staffing crisis," Forrey said. "The crisis is real."
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2008-06-11-faa_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip
