The file photo shows the air traffic control tower at Midway International Airport in Chicago.
Mr. Spencer Green | AP
Tuesday, members of the aviation industry again urged legislators for new air traffic control technologies and more hiring of air traffic controllers while airlines continue to complain about longtime deficits, while the demand for air travel has exploded.
Their testimony was pronounced to a chamber committee hearing about a month after a regional aircraft of American Airlines and a Black Hawk Hawk helicopter collided near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, killing the 67 people on the two most deadly American airline planes since 2001.
Transport Secretary Sean Duffy said last week that Trump administration was taking measures to increase the staffing of the air traffic controller, increasing 30% departure wages for the Federal Aviation Administration Academy.
The staff of the air traffic controller is down approximately 9% compared to 2012, while the demand for travel by plane reached records, according to the testimony of Nick Daniels, president of the National Traffic Colnlers Association.
Duffy’s comments are intervened as President Donald Trump has instructed his billionaire Elon Musk advisor to reduce costs throughout the federal government. But Musk’s participation has raised concerns about the conflicts of interest to Democratic legislators, especially since FAA is one of the regulators of Musk Spacex.
Cost reductions have included layoffs of around 300 FAA employees. The Ministry of Transport said that it did not include air traffic controllers.
“This demoralizes the entire workforce and distracted the agency’s efforts to modernize and improve the aeronautical system – as well as to withdraw the main mission of the FAA to ensure the safety and efficiency of the American aviation system and, ultimately, the security of the American flying public,” said David Spero, president of professional aeronautical security specialists, in written testimony.
He said: “Coverage changes, blind layoffs or other arbitrary edicts will not help this country to maintain the safest air traffic control system”.
For his part, Nick Calio, head of airlines for America, which represents the main American airlines, in particular United Airlines,, American airlines,, Southwest Airlines And others, recommended by relying on the so-called ministry of efficiency of the Musk government or “experts in purchasing the private sector to revise the standards, policies, practices and procedures for supplying the FAA to reduce obstacles to the acquisition of commercial products and commercial services, or other sources, as required.”