Air traffic controllers say passengers are in danger

On Tuesday, air traffic controllers reported to Congress that their workplaces were poorly maintained, aging and a danger to people in the air.

The president of the controllers’ union, Patrick Forrey noted that some control facilities are 40 years old and have not been properly maintained. As a result, controllers are being hampered and even harmed in their work.

“The resulting environmental conditions have jeopardized the safety of workers as well as the effectiveness of the equipment they use — both of which can negatively impact the safety of the air traffic system,” Forrey testified before the House aviation subcommittee.

Although the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the organization which employs controllers, has invested in new technology, it is putting it into facilities which are outdated. The most recent example of this was the replacement of a land-based radar control system with a much newer satellite-based system called

As Rep. Thomas Petri, R-Wis. Said, “We cannot put our brand new systems into buildings not fit to house them.”

“The FAA can’t hide behind modernization that’s going to take years,” said Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., chairman of the full House Transportation Committee. “They need to fix these facilities now.”

www.faa.gov