FAA MISMANAGEMENT TO BLAME FOR AIR TRAFFIC DELAYS AT JACKSONVILLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Details: Published: July 18, 2013

JACKSONVILLE, FL- The Professional Airways Systems Specialists (PASS) called on FAA management to end the staffing shortages that contributed to an equipment outage at JacksonvilleInternationalAirporton Thursday. The outage lasted approximately 45 minutes

and caused more than 200 delays during the busy morning rush.

According to PASS PresidentTom Brantley, the FAA has been trying for over a year to fill multiple systems specialist positions at Jacksonville’s HilliardAirTrafficControlCenter. The FAA’s delay in filling the positions finally resulted in a disruption to air traffic Thursday, when a systems specialist called in sick that morning. Unfortunately, FAA management did not call in another systems specialist to fill the shift, exacerbating an already dangerous understaffing problem.

“The air traffic control center in Jacksonvilleis no doubt understaffed,” Brantley said. “Management should have recognized their staffing needs on that morning and called somebody in to fill the shift.”

Brantley explained that this problem is not unique to Jacksonville– the FAA’s systems specialist workforce is suffering from severe understaffing nationwide. In fact, an arbitrator in March found the agency in violation of the PASS/ FAA agreement to maintain a staffing level of at least 6,100 systems specialists.

“The staffing level PASS agreed to with the FAA is the absolute minimum number necessary to maintain a safe and efficient air traffic control system,” Brantley said. “The agency has no immediate plans to hire the additional systems specialists needed, which we find completely irresponsible.

“The flying public in Jacksonvilledeserve better from the FAA than unnecessary delays because of staffing problems,” Brantley concluded. “I fear that the delays in Jacksonvilleare just the beginning of potential problems with a busy traveling summer ahead of us.”

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PASS represents more than 11,000 employees of the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Defense who install, maintain, support and certify air traffic control and national defense equipment, inspect and oversee the commercial and general aviation industries, develop flight procedures and perform quality analyses of the aviation systems. For more information, visit the PASS website at www.passnational.org.