All air traffic controllers resign at 'hugely important' airport

[cbabe]

https://www.rawstory.com/puts-us-in-limbo-all-air-traffic-controllers-resign-at-hugely-important-airport/

'Puts us in limbo': All air traffic controllers resign at 'hugely important' airport

Carl Gibson, AlterNet
January 31, 2025 9:22AM ET

One California airport is now without any air traffic controllers, and it's unclear when the airport will be able to replace them.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported Thursday that beginning this weekend, the San Carlos Airport, which lies along the final approach to San Francisco International Airport (SFO), will no longer have anyone manning its control tower. The resignations came after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reassigned controllers' contracts to a firm that pays less.

Airport manager Gretchen Kelly said "understandably, all current controllers have declined [the firm's new] offers." The proposed compensation packages for air traffic controllers reportedly did not account for the Bay Area having the highest cost of living in the nation, which is roughly 18% higher than the national average. The region has had the highest cost of living in the U.S. for six consecutive years, with the San Jose and Napa areas close behind.

… more …

(Uh oh. Privatization didn’t work?)

[BoRaGard]

1. G.O.P. and their Draft-Dodging Felon-in-Chief

really screwing things up

[SheltieLover]

2. Pootin must be thrilled

[3auld6phart]

7. Gawd dam

A massive shit show.in four years there will no longer be USA.it will ne owned by the mega rich.

[BonnieJW]

45. And it will not function

Our country will not work once all this nonsense is implemented. If we don't get back the house and senate, we are doomed. If they rig it in 26, it won't matter if we win. Remember elmo's computers the felon praised.

[underpants]

11. He might need to turn on the recruiting valve. 🔥

Last edited Fri Jan 31, 2025, 01:27 PM - Edit history (1)

The Chico Airport, which the Chronicle noted was a "hub" for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, now has just one controller.

[Nictuku]

14. Good Grief!

The hub for California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection? OMG. This effects me personally as I live in a fire-prone area. They had better clear this mess up before next fire season up here. It is raining right now, but in late summer until October, it is scary, especially when it gets very windy.

[underpants]

26. Yeah. I'm in Virginia and it scares me.

Good luck. ❤️

[Jit423]

78. Maybe they all should resign. They are going to lose their jobs anyway. Musk is going to supply the workforce. nt

[DeepWinter]

58. This 'hugely important' airport

Is a single runway used by wealthy private pilots and corporate C-level executives. My agriculture dirt runway must now qualify as hugely important.

It'll have air control from the closest airport remotely, like hundreds of small single runways in the United States already do. (And hundreds of the smallest of them don't.)

[reACTIONary]

73. As a passenger on a small company plane...

... landing in at a small unintended airport in Indiana, the pilot had to use a radio signal to turn on the runway lights. When that didn't work, he had to circle repeatedly, getting lower and lower, to use the plane's lights to scope out the runway before landing.

[yardwork]

3. FAFO.

[Wicked Blue]

4. I wonder how the oligarchs plan to fly their private jets

if there are no more air traffic controllers.

[lastlib]

8. They'll have to pull themselves up by their Gucci-straps.....

[Magoo48]

50. The more airports shuttered, the more olys feel the pinch. Is a good thing.

[BoRaGard]

57. Oooooo! What you said.

as if

The draft-dodging casino hustling Felon (R) would look super slick in these cuties:

[AZ8theist]

61. JFC that's an ugly shoe!!!

[calimary]

66. No kidding!

[librechik]

5. Ahhh, yeah! Is that our signal to hit the street? Hope more airports do this!

In fact, a nationwide strike would be perfect right about now.

[ReRe]

85. Yeah, that's the ticket

We threatened to put a cog in the wheel how long ago now? 55-60 yrs?
Can't think of a more opportune time than now. If not now, when?!
I sometimes admire France from afar. They know how to do strikes.

[RJ-MacReady]

6. this too

Must be laid at the feet of trump. All day every day. Hammer it home. Time to take pages from their book.

[lastlib]

9. No ATC at the airport? tRump's FAULT!

MAGAts, tell me you didn't see it coming.

[not fooled]

34. Eloon working on AI to replace ATC

Low crash rate! Greater efficiency!

[Retrograde]

47. What could possibly go wrong?

Eloon's Swasticars and Deploreans are models of how effective AI can be when you get rid of those pesky safety regulations

[Jerry2144]

48. He's making an even bigger electric behemouth

It's called the

Tesla Model 0Z. (that's a zero, not the letter o). And it's pronounced as Tesla model Naught Z

[Attilatheblond]

87. My mom's favorite joke from 65 years ago: Ladies & gentlemen, welcome to flight 4321

This is a fully automated flight. There is no flight deck crew. It is a marvel of modern engineering. Sit back and enjoy your flight. Nothing can go wrong... go wrong...go wrong...

Yeah, she saw far, my mom.

[mitch96]

69. What happened when Ronny Raygun fired all the ATC's that went on strike??...nt

[TicketyBoo]

84. I don't know about all of them,

but a friend of ours who was an ATC moved to Australia.

[mitch96]

92. Was he an Air traffic controller in Australia?..nt

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

88. An awful lot of flights were grounded

Took a while to get the scabs up to a competent.

I don't expect Trump and Musk to do the same. Musk will have some AI program replace everything.

Till the next crash.

[AZJonnie]

10. IMHO really should change the thread title to (San Carlos, CA)

It did not happen at the hugely important San Francisco airport (SFO), which the title would lead one to believe. That being said, good on these people. Viva la RESISTANCE!!!

[cbabe]

15. Fixed headline. Thanks.

[MineralMan]

12. Well, the San Carlos Airport Isn't Really THAT Important.

It's a small general aviation airport in a Bay Area Suburb. There are several of those, and many of them have no ATC staffing at all.

Many smaller airports do not have ATC staffing or even a tower.

Now, there's another one that doesn't. Pilots still use such airports, communicating with local traffic on frequencies associated with the particular airport. There are rules for pilots to follow around un-controlled general aviation airports. If they're located near major airports, ATC in the area gets contacted by pilots and directions given, where necessary.

This is not a huge story, in other words.

[DENVERPOPS]

20. What is important IS:

their attempt to PRIVATIZE Air Traffic Controllers........

If the Air Traffic Controllers make ANY waves, due to insane working conditions, it will give the current admin a golden opportunity to pull what Reagan did previously. But this time, make a case for privatizing all new hires...........without a Union..........

Not alot unlike what DeJoy is doing with the USPS...............

I know some controllers and it is THE #1 most stressful job in existence........They are highly screened for training, then trained for THREE years, and judged constantly on everything they do...

I can only imagine what would happen if a private corporation were allowed to take over........

[Traildogbob]

29. Privatize

And appoint Kennedy, Gabbert, Hogsbreath level intellectuals as ATC techs.
A DEI hire, Tim Scott as FAA Director.
J6 patriots as ATC scope controllers.

[Bengus81]

35. Gosh....If only Enron was still around! Yes..after they bankrupted Social Security that Bush Jr

wanted to privatize they could move on to the ATC.

[ReRe]

86. Don't imagine

Many people would die, just like what happened when they corporatized America's hospitals.

[Grins]

21. It's in Class B airspace less than 2-miles from SFO.

It’s important.

[MineralMan]

24. It's more like 13 miles from SFO.

[bluesbassman]

30. Latest stats I found from the San Mateo County website say the airport has over 90,000 operations per year.

That's approximately 250 per day. A lot of it is business related and also includes Life Flight and law enforcement activities.

Yes, it's a smaller general aviation airport, but it's a fairly busy one, hence the need to have ATCs there in the first place. It may not be a "huge story" today, but with that kind of traffic I hope the next story isn't a major incident.

[Brenda]

32. Isn't it unbelievable that a DUer would downplay this right now?

Within 48 hours of 62 dead people in DC for a reason undetermined but many questions about ATC purging by Chump and buddies, no less.

When an entire crew of ATC quit near a major US city, it's fucking big news.

[Dave Bowman]

55. Oh it's perfectly believable but also odd.

[whathehell]

81. In my experience, Democratic Underground is

rarely short of contrarians, bless them.

[Bengus81]

37. I agree...if much further from SFO they could operate without ATC using CTAF but this doesn't sound good

to me and hell I just fly sims.

[FHRRK]

36. Really?!!

How many ball players go directly to the Majors and how many work their way up through the Minors? Get experience and hone skills.

Also the policy is designed to fuck over the high income States.

As a Californian I can confidently say, we are getting fuckin past being polite to those who defend it, whether R or D.

[W_HAMILTON]

43. I'm following your suggestion -- and fact checking you:

...

The airport said it is working closely with Rep. Kevin Mullin's office to push the FAA to meet its obligation to provide air traffic services to San Carlos. Airport officials are also "exploring all options" to return air traffic control staffing to Serco or the FAA.

"To emphasize the critical need for high-quality ATC services at SQL—given our high traffic volume, IFR arrivals/departures, extensive flight training, complex airspace, and proximity to SFO—we encourage you to file FAA Hotline complaints to raise awareness of this urgent issue," Kelly said.

Taken from: https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/san-carlos-airport-set-to-lose-air-traffic-controllers-amid-pay-dispute/ar-AA1y8FCn

The Airport Manager certainly doesn't agree with your assessment.

Neither does their Democratic Representative.

And apparently neither does the FAA, or else they wouldn't have had air traffic services there and they wouldn't be looking for ways to resume service now.

[MineralMan]

46. Good. My comment was about calling SQL an important airport.

There are about a dozen or more large general aviation airports in the Bay Area. They're important to the pilots who use them, but don't come close to the impact of the major airports in the area.

I live in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. We have MSP as our major airport. There are many general aviation airports in the area, but like there are in the Bay Area. Some of them, like Flying Cloud Airport, see around 100,000 operations per year, like SQL. General air traffic control is available, but not detailed ATC control at those airports, for the most part.

If you're flying to the Twin Cities, whether you're in a four-seater Cessna or a corporate jet, you're going to land at one of those reliever airports, like Flying Cloud. You're not flying your little plane into MSP. You've checked out the regulations for the area and have planned your flight accordingly.

Not all reliever airports have full ATC coverage at that airport. VFR rules apply. Hundreds of flights a day land at and take off from reliever airports. Safely. There are rules to help you be safe. You're expected to know them.

[dickthegrouch]

74. Off topic, but SQL also stands for Structured Query Language

Which is what’s used to query databases. The airport is less than a stone’s throw from the Oracle headquarters in Redwood Shores (of database fame).
I wonder what it took to achieve that join? 😉

[Scrivener7]

49. Lol.

[WhiteTara]

13. FAFO felon and nazis.

The first tumble of services.

[Blue Full Moon]

16. Privatization never works.

In fact once privatized they stick their hand out more than ever for taxpayer money. Usually after the buds are done plundering coffers.

[rampartd]

28. my office was privatized by al gore "reinventing government"

i refused the insanely low offer to continue with the contractor, who still had not processed any useful data 10 years later.

i don't understand the theory of replacing experienced and educated professionals with profit seeking management as "efficiency " of any kind.

[Blue Full Moon]

59. They said it would keep the politicians

From claiming that they saved the plant. Bush gave the plant to his buddy. They took everything they could and then went back to demand a bailout. We went from making money for the Treasury to being a boondoggle. They had all of us to write letters to keep funding them. So much for keeping politicians out.

[OMGWTF]

40. Everyone, please stop saying "privatize" and say 'profitize'. It's so much closer to the truth.

[calimary]

71. Ooooooooh THAT'S a GOOOOOOD one!!!

PROFITIZE!

WOW OMGWTF! I absolutely positively LOVE this!!!

Absolutely Positively / Absitively Posolutely!!!

[James48]

17. These are NOT FAA employees.

They are private Contract Tower Controllers, who work for companies that are subcontracted out.

In this case, a different operating company apparently won the low bid, but now can’t perform, because the existing controllers didn’t want to take a pay cut.

It’s capitalism and the contracted out low bid problem.

My preference would be-Needs to be nationalized everywhere.

[cbabe]

19. Private contract went even more private. So to speak. The old joke

about not wanting to fly in a plane built by the lowest bidder. George Carlin?

[Pinback]

75. John Glenn

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/that-famed-john-glenn-quote-about-a-rockets-2-million-lowest-bidder-parts-2016-12-11

[cbabe]

76. Ah of course. Thanks!

[Pinback]

79. You're welcome!

Easy to confuse the two — Glenn and Carlin both had the “Right Stuff,” just in slightly different ways.

[Srkdqltr]

18. I know it's not a good thing but a slowdown or something of the air traffic control people would get attention.

Not a good idea. Their association should at least speak out forcefully.

[AllyCat]

33. Exactly. They know if we withhold our labor, they are phucked.

[Emile]

22. Could this be just the start of a huge chain reaction?

[Nigrum Cattus]

38. Yes it will be

All across the board
Flying is not a right, it's a privilege.
Nobody needs to fly.
If they want to fly make em pay for it

[Bengus81]

39. Damn!! has me wondering just how many ATC airports like that are privatized?

in the US that are semi-close to a major airport like SFO??

[Ping Tung]

23. In 1981Ronnie Reagan fired 11,000 controllers when they went on strike for better wages.

Donnie won't be able to fire the San Francisco group but he'll condemn them for being "Far Left Radicals" endangering the live of the citizenry.

https://www.npr.org/2021/08/05/1025018833/looking-back-on-when-president-reagan-fired-air-traffic-controllers

Yeah, they sure were. The Professional Air Traffic Controllers Association (ph), PATCO, was protesting what they considered to be unfair wages and long work hours. They walked off the job. And two days later, on this day 40 years ago, Reagan fired more than 11,000 of those who hadn't crossed the picket line. And that dealt a serious blow to the American labor movement.

[Bengus81]

41. Hey....Don't cha remember when Saint Ronnie said "Well...I didn't fire them,they quit."

I remember it like it was yesterday.........

[Ping Tung]

51. Donnie always needs to be the Biggest hero.

So, he'll tell us that he fired them to save us from Far Left bogeymen controlling our planes.

[billh58]

25. Contract Towers

After the air traffic controller strike in 1981, the FAA contracted ATC services to private companies at over 200 airports:

https://www.bing.com/search?q=faa+contract+towers&form=ANNTH1&refig=4CFA7B5B97934629AB32BE322AF9600D&pc=U531&ucpdpc=UCPD&pq=faa+contract+towers&pqlth=19&assgl=19&sgcn=faa+contract+towers&qs=MT&smvpcn=0&swbcn=10&sctcn=0&sc=10-19&sp=1&ghc=0&cvid=4CFA7B5B97934629AB32BE322AF9600D&clckatsg=1&hsmssg=0

Contract Tower controllers make less money than FAA controllers but operate under the same standards and regulations.

[MichMan]

44. So, it has been that way for over 40 years n/t

[iluvtennis]

27. Just disgusting. Putting safety at risk all in the name of greed. n/t

[Evolve Dammit]

31. National work stoppage

[Norbert]

42. But he has common demse.

[aggiesal]

52. They're now profitizing the FAA? What could possible go wrong? ..

Now I'm wondering if the DCA had only 1 controller for the same reason.

BTW, instead of Privatization, I use Profitzation.

[Oopsie Daisy]

53. Things will get worse before they get better (if ever.) There will be more senseless deaths and tragedy.

[AllaN01Bear]

54. now they will be using unicom. trickey

[Colgate 64]

56. Controllers. smorollers. Who needs 'em?

Donald is carrying out all the dreck contained in Project 2025 (which he apparently just read since he didn't know anything about it during the campaign) with a vengance, although he neither understands or cares about what he's doing and its possible consequences on "real" people. He's as close to out of control as any President this nation has ever had and I fear that we are unable to deal with him. Certainly, our elected representatives have been brilliant in their absence in taking him on, leaving the rest of us to just mutter to ourselves "What the f*^k???".

[progressoid]

60. Just do a Ronnie Raygun and make the military do it.

[Martin68]

62. Reagan successfully broke the air controller's union. Trump/Musk's gutting of the FAA is what happens when you take

the ridiculous suggestion the "government is the problem" to an absurd extreme. Fasten your seatbelts, this is literally going to be a very bumpy ride.

[KnoxVol]

63. Word is, he's encouraging them all to quit

Less than 24 hours after a major air disaster, they are sending out emails to controllers trying to get them to quit or take on secondary employment before they quit.

This is insanity!

[3Hotdogs]

64. What? It's not a problem. All take-off will be on even numbers of the month.

Landings?

Once you take off on the even number days, you're on your own as far as landing. Or you can wait for the odd number days to land.

[Linda ladeewolf]

65. If all air traffic controllers

Quit, wouldn’t that shut down all air traffic?

[Vinca]

67. Maybe that's what needs to happen. A complete walkout. Shut it down. Can't fly without air traffic controllers.

Maybe that would wake the obedient Republicans in the Congress up. Maybe that orange dictator won't be able to get to his golf course this weekend and decide it was a bad idea to harass federal employees.

[Grokenstein]

70. San Carlos Airport reaches agreement to keep its air traffic controllers

https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/san-carlos-airport-reaches-agreement-to-keep-its-air-traffic-controllers/

A regional Bay Area airport that was set to lose its air traffic controllers due to a pay dispute has reached an agreement to keep them, KRON4.com has confirmed. On Wednesday, San Carlos Airport (SQL) announced its tower would cease to be manned by air traffic controllers on Saturday.

At issue was a pay dispute involving the Federal Aviation Administration and a third-party contractor for air traffic services, Robinson Aviation (RVA). RVA, according to the County of San Mateo, had been awarded a contract to staff the tower by the FAA. The contract, however, did not include a pay packet accounting for the high cost of living in the San Francisco Bay Area. As a result, SQL’s air traffic controllers received an offer that was “significantly lower” than their current compensation.

But on Friday, the airport was able to reach a satisfactory agreement with RVA. An airport representative told KRON4 the agreement was reached around 12:36 p.m. As a result, the tower will be staffed as normal on Saturday and going forward for the time-being.

“Our office has received word that RVA and the air traffic controllers have reached an agreement and the San Carlos airport will be staffed business as usual going forward,” said San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller. “This is a win for public safety in San Mateo County and huge thanks to Congressman (Kevin) Mullin for his work with the FAA.”

Those dang ol' DEI socialismists, workin' t' keep our skies safer!! /s

[EX500rider]

72. How exactly is that airport "hugely important"? never even heard of it

[Norrrm]

77. Dotard wants to hire 'brilliant' ATCs? Yet, he wants to pay them less?

[Tweedy]

80. It never does

[Aussie105]

82. The unspoken assumptions behind Trump's and Musk's thinking:

There are a whole bunch of government employees out there who don't do anything important and just sit around, feeding pig like out of government coffers.
Fire a lot of them, save money, and no one will notice.

So wrong!
Thery are the unsung and unappreciated workers who keep the country from falling apart.

If all the air traffic controllers downed tools, not even AF1 could get off the ground.

[TicketyBoo]

83. Update: Crisis averted...

Update: The resignations were rescinded at the last minute following tense contract negotiations, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

[duggie99]

89. I was a DEI hire in the late 70's as a female

I worked for DOD and the Department of Transportation was looking to hire women. I was a single mom with no child support. (Texas at that time would not force him to pay me). The training was intense and the washout rate was 70% even among ex military controllers. I eventually became the 1st female to control airplanes at ia California airport about 50 miles from San Francisco. I was a damn good one. Reagan fired us in the 80's and although I was offered my job back, I embarked on a new career.

[Mr. Mustard 2023]

90. When enough people begin to protest,

the Deadbeat Felon will declare it a national emergency then implement martial law.

[Dem4life1234]

91. This man is a stain to the country

I hate that idiots didn't vote!