Transportation IG urges better training for novice air traffic controllers

More trainees are working at important air traffic control facilities in California, and those airports are relying increasingly on overtime employees, according to a new report from the Transportation Department's inspector general.

The report found that the number of trainee controllers and use of overtime hours rose at three facilities, Los Angeles International Airport Traffic Control Tower, Southern California Terminal Radar Approach Control, and Northern California Terminal Radar Approach Control.

"Ensuring these air traffic control facilities remain adequately staffed with qualified air traffic controllers is critical to the safety and efficiency of the entire National Airspace System," wrote David Dobbs, Transportation's deputy inspector general.

As of December 2008, 20 percent of the air traffic controllers at Los Angeles were in training rather than fully certified. At the Southern California facility, that figure was 32 percent, while 24 percent of controllers at the Northern California airport were trainees. Nationwide, 27 percent of the air traffic controller workforce were trainees, up from 15 percent in 2004.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who requested the report, said in a letter to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood that she hoped the number of trainees at each facility could be reduced to the national average by the end of 2009.

High numbers of trainees in some of the nation's busiest airports is troubling, according to the report, because there must be enough certified controllers in each facility to help trainees learn, and to avoid backlogs at training facilities.

Ramesh Punwani, FAA's assistant administrator for financial services, said in response to the report that the agency adopted a policy in October 2008 of staggering trainees' assignments to avoid this problem. In December 2008, the agency instituted a requirement that individual facilities submit monthly workflow plans to help schedule training and to determine where trainees should be assigned across the country.

Even if schedules were changed, trainees still would face challenges, said Patrick Forrey, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.

"A large [terminal radar approach control] like the ones in Northern and Southern California, or a major airport control tower should never be where a new trainee with no previous experience is sent to start their career," Forrey said in a statement. "It's terribly unfair to these trainees to put them in such a ridiculously difficult situation."

Overtime at all three facilities also has increased sharply between fiscal 2006 and 2008. At Los Angeles, OT has skyrocketed from 606 hours to 5,866 -- an increase of 868 percent. At Southern California, overtime hours have risen 400 percent, from 7,300 to 36,700; and at Northern California, they are up 120 percent, from 5,685 to 12,511 during the same period.

The report said some FAA managers told the inspector general's office that they had to schedule controllers in advance for overtime, or risk staffing shortfalls. Punwani said an analysis of overtime scheduling processes is due to be completed by Dec. 31, and changes could be implemented depending on the review's conclusions.

The inspector general said addressing training and overtime issues was particularly important because FAA has been reevaluating the staffing requirements at air traffic control facilities since 2007. The reviews at the Northern and Southern California facilities were completed on Mar. 31, and the agency increased the number of required staff at both facilities from the fiscal 2008 requirements.