Air-Traffic Controllers Furlough May Cause Major Air Traffic Delays

Air-Traffic Controllers Furlough May Cause Major Air Traffic Delays

Air-traffic controllers and the Federal Aviation Authority indicated that major delays at the airports in big cities may occur due to the automatic budget cuts that are set to start soon.

According to Michael Huerta, the FAA chief, delays may reach up to ninety minutes since 10 percent of the controllers will be furloughed. The effect of the cuts will be felt by April due to the thirty-day-notice that will be given to the controllers.

The air traffic control towers that will be closed and the ones that will have no midnight shifts will be selected depending on which ones will have the least effects on passengers, Huerta indicated. These towers are the ones will departures and landing that do not reach 150,000 every year.

The FAA wants to reduce the impact of the furloughing of the air-traffic controllers on travelers. The reduction in spending is anticipated since the Republicans in Congress believe that the administration can find ways in saving without compromising vital services such as air traffic control.

The Republicans indicated that spending on contracts, supplies and travel can be reduced by the FAA as an option to the furloughs of air-traffic controllers during the hearing of the House Transportation subcommittee.

However, Huerta indicated that the air-traffic controllers need telecommunications while safety inspectors require travel funding. He added that the furloughs will still continue even after hiring is stopped and travel expenses are reduced.

Airlines for America president Nicholas Calio said that the trade group is recommending that the administration and Congress will implement spending cuts that will not affect the airline industry.

A fourteen-page report was issued by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association indication the locations most affected by the delays. Union president Paul Rinaldi warned of a ripple effect that will affect the airlines, airline employees, airport employees, private pilots, passengers and businesses that depend on the aviation sector.

A reduction in the staff at the O’Hare airport in Chicago will result to the closing of one tower, Huerta told lawmakers. Reducing the number of air-traffic controllers will also mean one runway will be closed during bad weather.

The midnight shift at the Midway airport of Chicago will also be removed. Although planes can still take off and land at the closed towers, flights will be delayed during bad weather since the air-traffic controllers will work to ensure that planes will land before another one will take off.

Posted by Sophia Andrews on Friday March 01 2013, 2:37 AM EST. Ref: USA Today. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Travel. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0