[Samurai]

Air traffic controllers, pilots and flight attendants issued a stark warning about the safety of air passengers during the partial government shutdown, calling for the White House and Congress to find a solution.

“In our risk averse industry, we cannot even calculate the level of risk currently at play, nor predict the point at which the entire system will break. It is unprecedented,” the unions for all three groups said in a statement on Wednesday.

http://time.com/5511886/air-traffic-...tdown-warning/

Meanwhile, White House asks for list of programs that would be impacted if shutdown drags on to March or beyond.

I am really wondering about it. How safe is it to fly within USA, if this goes on and on?

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by Samurai

I am really wondering about it. How safe is it to fly within USA, if this goes on and on?

Not very safe in my assessment. An ATC's job is a high stress one on a good day more so at busy and moderately busy airports requiring very high levels of alertness. An ATC worrying about paying the rent is not likely to be in a healthy frame of mind. If ATCs start reporting sick and there are not enough of them to go around then dirty things can happen.

And we thought our politicians were lousy!!

[libranof1987]

A colleague flies domestic every week out of JFK and he mentioned that even the TSA staff has thinned down. They're severely short-staffed and getting through Security (even for domestic flights and with Priority queues) is taking two hours or more.

With both the funding proposals rejected by the Senate yesterday, it is deeply discomforting knowing the essential services' are short-staffed, over-worked and awfully demotivated. You feel for them as much as you worry about your own safety!

With Trump, you've never quite seen everything.

[SmartCat]

FAA halts some arriving traffic into LaGuardia Airport amid shortage of TSA workers
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/25/faa-...a-workers.html

[naveenroy]

It is a scary thought. And NO CONCERN from the dude at the top. I hope people don't lose their lives because of some over-worked ATC. Worse, how will the guy even live with that on his conscience?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/natio...=.4ea6019f5384

[RedStallion]

The FAA has halted the flights into LaGuardia airport due to ATC staff shortages.

Source: Bloomberg

https://twitter.com/business/status/...971405312?s=19


Colleagues from other countries showing benevolence.

Source: The Washington Post

https://www.washingtonpost.com/trans...t-pizza/<br />


ATC staff shortages affect Canadian airline flights

Source: CTV

https://windsor.ctvnews.ca/some-cana....4269314<br />

[pedrolourenco]

A bit OT but I recently visited the US by ship. We had a CBP officer coming on board to clear the vessel and he was saying he was not being paid. He did his job in a hurry and forgot to stamp some shore passes. We also had the USCG doing an inspection and they too were not looking happy.

[naveenroy]

Looks like a deal will be announced to end the Shutdown. For now. We'll be revisiting it in 3 weeks.

[nakul0888]

Wouldn't even have this problem if the Air traffic Controller wasn't federalized in the first place. A lot of developed countries have privatized this function. Why can't the US? Just goes to show how bloated the Federal government in the U.S actually is. Whats the spending deficit of Uncle Sam going to be this year? 1.5 trillion? 2 trillion? Theres only one direction all of this is going. And it aint UP.

[RedStallion]

Big airlines want privatisation

Source: Business Insider

https://www.businessinsider.in/The-a...w/67714314.cms

[libranof1987]

Looks like the reverse happened; the shutdown ended when US Air Traffic safety/operations were compromised.

On January 24, it seemed like the partial government shutdown would go on forever, leaving more than 800,000 federal workers in unpaid limbo. But on January 25 -- the 35th day of the longest-ever federal shutdown -- something changed: 10 air traffic controllers decided to stay home.

The absence of those few workers -- six in northern Virginia and four in Florida, numbers not previously reported -- temporarily shut down travel at New York's La Guardia airport and caused delays at other major hubs, including in New Jersey, Philadelphia and Atlanta.

Their actions, along with staffing issues already brewing at the Transportation Security Administration, helped tip the scales in Washington, driving President Donald Trump to agree to a three-week cease-fire.

What a hard-hitting statement; The Donald should ponder over this the next time he wants to throw a tantrum:

"They feel undervalued, demoralized, and I'm using the word traumatized, they are traumatized," Rinaldi said. "They went through a traumatic event, and we don't ever need to do that again to our national airspace system."

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/02/06/p...own/index.html

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

Looks like the reverse happened; the shutdown ended when US Air Traffic safety/operations were compromised.

Several countries and governments under estimate both the skill needed by an ATC and the criticalness of the function in the nation. India has suffered too, in the past, from Govt apathy to simple wage parity demands of ATC's.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Several countries and governments under estimate both the skill needed by an ATC and the criticalness of the function in the nation. India has suffered too, in the past, from Govt apathy to simple wage parity demands of ATC's.

Out of country but not out of context - this video highlights what goes on with ATC's in Mumbai

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEnbv-PMCPI

[Jeroen]

Being an Air Traffic Controller, irrespective of your particular role (tower, ground, sector etc) is a very demanding job! Not many people have the intrinsic capability and demeanour that is required.

Very high stress levels. Those that can deal with the stress levels and the shift work can have a hugely interesting job. Here in Europe they are paid quite well and the hours per week they are allowed to work are limited.

In the USA ATC provides all sort of activities to bring pilots and ATC together. I have visited various facilities. Usually these visits also included a bit of ATC training on their simulators. Very interesting, but I found it very difficult. Even as a pilot I found it extremely hard to get going controlling a few aircraft in a sector, or allign them up for approach.

USA is pretty unique that quite a few controllers are pilots themselves. Be it ex-airforce or PPL.

Jeroen