Staffing and technology woes threaten aviation safety, report says

A group of outside experts appointed by the FAA called on Wednesday for “urgent action” to address safety risks in the nation’s aviation system, highlighting issues like staffing shortages among air traffic controllers and outdated technology. The FAA announced the formation of the group, the National Airspace System Safety Review Team, in April after a string of close calls at airports across the country, and the panel issued a 52-page report on Wednesday laying out its findings. In addition to calling for the FAA to address the shortage of air traffic controllers and improve its aging technology, the report also recommended changes in how the agency is funded, such as more broadly shielding it from government shutdowns. “The current erosion in the margin of safety in the NAS caused by the confluence of these challenges is rendering the current level of safety unsustainable,” the report said, referring to what is known as the National Airspace System. The group of experts was led by Michael P. Huerta, who served as FAA administrator under Presidents Barack Obama and Donald J. Trump. It also included other former federal officials and former union leaders. “There are no easy short-term fixes to address many of these challenges,” Huerta said Wednesday. “Addressing risk in the NAS requires the FAA, the administration, Congress and others across industry to work together collaboratively.” New York Times investigations published in August and in October revealed how the nation’s vaunted aviation safety system is under mounting stress. The Times found that close calls involving commercial airlines had been happening, on average, multiple times a week. A dire shortage of air traffic controllers — The Times found that 99% of the country’s air traffic control facilities were understaffed — has been one major factor. The report released on Wednesday also warned about the risks posed by aging technology. In January, an FAA system outage caused flights to be grounded nationwide and led to a wave of delays and cancellations for travelers. “The age and condition of F.A.A. facilities and equipment are elevating system risk to unsustainable levels, even before considering losses in efficiency from outdated technology,” the report said. The agency has said that it has taken steps to reduce the risk of close calls at airports, such as by providing funding to reconfigure taxiways and improve runway lighting.<br/>