FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION: PLAN STILL NEEDED TO MEET CHALLENGES TO EFFECTIVELY MANAGING AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER WORKFORCE

In the summer of 2000, the air traffic control system lacked the capacity to handle demand efficiently, and flight delays produced near-gridlock conditions at several U.S. airports. A combination of factors, including the crises instigated by the events of September 11, temporarily reduced air traffic, but air traffic is now back to near pre-September 11 levels. The ability of the air traffic control system to handle expected traffic in coming years may depend in part on the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) effectiveness in planning for along-expected wave of air traffic controller retirements. This testimony by the General Account Office (GAO) focuses on 3 areas: (1) the magnitude and timing of the pending wave of air traffic controller retirements, (2) the challenges FAA faces in ensuring that well-qualified air traffic controllers are ready to step into the gap created by the expected large number of retirements, and (3) challenges that will affect the ability of the air traffic controller workforce to meet future changes in the airline industry and use of airspace. This statement by the GAO based on past reports on the air traffic controller workforce, including a 2002 report by the GAO that surveyed controllers and analyzed controller workforce data. This work has been updated by the GAO through interviews with and the collection of data from key stakeholders in the aviation community.

• Record URL:
  • http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04887t.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  U.S. General Accounting Office

  441 G Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20548
• Publication Date: 2004-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 18 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air traffic control; Air traffic controllers; Education and training; Government employees; Hiring policies; Personnel management; Planning; Recruiting; Selection and appointment; Strategic planning; Workforce
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Aviation; Education and Training; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00977312
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: GAO-04-887T
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 5 2004 12:00AM