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FAA Plans to Hire 12,500 Controllers; Agency Expects Wave of Retirements
12/22/2004 FAA Plans to Hire 12,500 Controllers; Agency Expects Wave of Retirements Byline: Sara Kehaulani Goo Washington Post Staff Writer Edition: FINAL Section: A Section The Federal Aviation Administration announced a plan yesterday to hire 12,500 air traffic controllers over the next 10 years, in an effort to replace nearly three-quarters of the agency's workforce that will be eligible for retirement. After years of prodding by the union that represents the controllers and reports by government watchdogs about the staff shortage, the FAA's top officials yesterday said they plan to hire 435 controllers next year and 1,249 in 2006. This year, 500 controllers left, and the FAA hired 13. "The previous policy of having one hire to replace one retirement doesn't work -- it's that simple," said FAA Administrator Marion C. Blakey. She expressed confidence that the administration and Congress would provide funds to hire the controllers and the agency would also use money from a declining FAA fund that taps fees from airline tickets. "We expect to find plenty of candidates to fill the pool," she said. Can't find what you need? Try a Google Web Search in the box below!
Most of the nation's air traffic controllers are reaching retirement age because many were hired at the same time -- in the early 1980s, after President Ronald Reagan fired more than 10,000 controllers who went on strike and refused to return to work. The agency continues to have a strained relationship with the controllers' union. For years, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) said the shortage has put the safety of the air traffic system in jeopardy. The agency's contract with the union expired in 2003, but both sides signed a two-year extension. They are expected to begin negotiations next summer.
"We're happy to see this arrive, but we anticipate it is too little too late. . . . the FAA is already behind the power curve, and the clock is ticking," NATCA President John Carr said. In major facilities such as Chicago, the FAA is authorized to have 101 controllers, but 66 are certified; in Los Angeles there are 309 authorized and 219 certified, according to the union. Congress appropriated $9.5 million for new controller hires in the 2005, even though the administration did not request any funding. Rep. Peter A. DeFazio (Ore.), ranking Democrat on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's aviation subcommittee, criticized the Bush administration for moving too slowly. "The Republican Congress and the president have already caused great delay and compounded the problem. It is critical that they support the staffing increases outlined in this plan during the appropriations process so we may avoid the pending crisis," he said. Under the FAA's hiring plans, the agency will see a net gain of 1,500 controllers over the next 10 years. Today, the FAA employs 15,000 controllers at 315 facilities. The plan calls for an aggressive training schedule and better management techniques to staff each facility. Now, the agency said, some facilities are understaffed while others are overstaffed. It plans for each new hire to complete training within two to three years instead of the current three to five years, depending on the position. Select controllers with special skills would be asked to stay on in their posts beyond age 56, which may be extended annually, if the controller passes an assessment, until age 61. Applicants must be no older than 31 years. The starting salary is $60,000 a year, and the average air traffic controller salary is $118,000, according to the FAA's manager of human resources. Blakey said there are 5,000 applications pending at the FAA.
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