Air traffic retirees could hinder travel

[question everything]

Article Last Updated: 10/09/2005 10:28 PM

Air traffic retirees could hinder travel
By Sara A. Carter, Staff Writer
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

With air traffic controllers retiring at alarming rates and few trained personnel to replace them, officials with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association are warning something must be done or passenger safety may be compromised.

And with many more controllers expected to retire in the upcoming months, the lack of trained personnel will leave a gap too large to fill, predicted Tony Vella, local president for National Air Traffic Controllers Association for Southern California and an air traffic controller for Los Angeles International Airport.

(snip)

But FAA officials said the recent announcements made by representatives of the National Air Traffic Controllers union are just scare tactics and have come on the heels of continuing union negotiations over salary and benefits.

There hasn't been a serious airline incident in the United States since the American Airlines Flight 587, which crashed over Queens, New York, in November 2001, said FAA spokesman Greg Martin.

(snip)


http://www2.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_3102182

- Sara A. Carter can be reached by e-mail at [e-mail] or by phone at [phone].

[RaleighNCDUer]

1. Is that union being troublesome again? I thought they learned

their lesson under Reagan.

Fire them all.

We just pull controllers from the National Guard to keep things going until they can be replaced. At lower wages.

[Geo55]

2. Nah...

"We just pull controllers from the National Guard to keep things going until they can be replaced"

Just keep 'em there, I think the military should fill ALL critical roles in society....yep, shrubby's right....let's just go military,
no fuss no muss.

[RaleighNCDUer]

3. Of course.

What was I thinking.

[LisaM]

4. Well, they were all hired at the same time, ergo....

they will all be retiring en masse. I read about this problem more than two years ago.

[meganmonkey]

5. I love the way the headline blames the retirees

:eyes: