I have always admired air-traffic controllers. It is a stressful job, yet they hardly get the kind of respect that pilots do. I also just learned from yesterday’s Wall Street Journal, that there have not been any controller-caused jet collisions since the 1980s, the last time staffing was an issue. Yes, it was after Reagan fired more than 12,000 striking controllers in 1980.
Recently though, controllers are leaving their jobs at the fastest pace since the 1980s. A lot of the controllers hired after 1981 are becoming eligible to retire. It is not unusual they retire at the age of 50, after 25 years on the job.
In January, there were only 11,000 controllers – the lowest level in a decade, even though the number of flights has been increasing. The FAA is talking about a staffing crisis, that could further worsen airline delays. Even worse, overworked and fatigued controllers could even cause a catastrophic mistake.
The FAA response? Relax, travel has never been safer.