CBS New York Investigates: New York doesn't have enough air traffic control supervisors
NEW YORK -- According to a new report from the inspector general for the Department of Transportation, 170 times in a year staffing was so short for air traffic controllers in the New York City area flights had to be delayed or cancelled.
As CBS New York investigative reporter Tim McNicholas found out, New York City does not have enough supervisors, either.
The new audit report says the Federal Aviation Administration lacks a plan to address air traffic controller shortages, which could contribute to cancellations or delays.
Wet weather and a shortage of controllers is not a good combination for the people trying to keep air traffic moving, or the people they were trying to move Monday at LaGuardia Airport.
"Every time I leave here it's delayed. Every time," one traveler said.
"There's always a delay or a cancellation in New York," another said.
"Yeah, it frustrates me. Time is important, right?" another added.
While the FAA blamed Monday's delays on weather, the new inspector general audit found major air traffic control centers, including New York's, have recently seen increased "staffing triggers," which is when controller shortages force the FAA to slow flights down or cancel them to free up air space.
A single staffing trigger can affect multiple flights, and the report says there were 170 staffing triggers from August 2021 to August 2022 at New York's main air traffic control center, where air traffic controller staffing is around 54%.
"It's not an easy position at those jobs. There's other facilities where it may be easier to control airplanes. It's like why would you leave?" retired air traffic controller Colin Scoggins said.
Last week, CBS New York investigated the shortage and met with recent FAA applicants who were anxious to get to work.
The new audit also says New York is short on operational supervisors. Our main air traffic control center is authorized for 30 but it only has eight.
"Eight compared to 30 is a pretty big difference," Scoggins said.
"I would love for them to fix it," a traveler said.
The FAA released the following statement on Monday night:
"We have recently completed a comprehensive review of the distribution of controllers, which was included in the Controller Workforce Plan submitted to Congress on May 5, 2023. Additionally, we are implementing the Air Traffic Operations Management System (ATOMS), a comprehensive system that will track controller timekeeping and various work assignments," the FAA said.
The shortage is also shining a brighter light on concerns over near collisions that happened earlier this year in several cities, including New York.
The FAA recently announced a new safety training initiative intended to help reach a goal of zero close calls.
