Understaffed and outdated: DC crash highlights US air traffic control crisis under longtime neglect

Nevin Al Sukari - Sana'a - The air traffic control at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is pictured, in the aftermath of the collision of American Eagle flight 5342 and a Black Hawk helicopter that crashed into the Potomac River, with the Capitol dome in the background, as seen from Virginia, U.S., January 30, 2025. — Reuters pic

NEW YORK, Feb 1 — Prior to this week’s fatal airplane crash in Washington, the US air traffic control (ATC) system was regarded as an understaffed operation beset with old and sometimes obsolete equipment.

While the investigation into the collision between a regional passenger jet and a military Black Hawk helicopter remains at an early phase, the tragic end to the United States’ 16-year streak of no fatal commercial air crashes promises to keep the ATC’s issues in focus.

A government auditor warned last year the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) troubling record on technology upgrades risked leaving it overwhelmed amid rising demand.

Turning things around “will be the work of many years and billions of dollars,” Kevin Walsh of the Government Accountability Office told a Senate panel.

Longstanding troubles have led to periodic efforts to privatise US air traffic control — something conservatives were positioning for ahead of the second Trump administration.

In December, the libertarian Cato Institute described the ATC system as “antiquated, mismanaged and... headed for a crisis,” arguing the ATC was ideal for privatisation under White House advisor and tech billionaire Elon Musk’s push to slim down government.

But Michael McCormick, a former FAA control tower manager, noted that privatisation campaigns have previously failed because of opposition from established aviation interests.

“This tragic accident is definitely going to put a spotlight on the national air traffic system and may finally result in a proper funding level so the system can be upgraded and maintained,” he said in an interview.

McCormick credited newer technology with enabling the ATC system to shift from ground- to satellite-based infrastructure, facilitating the ability of controllers to transmit messages directly to planes without using a phone.

A helicopter used to ferry US President Donald Trump lands on its base, very near where a civilian airplane collided with a helicopter in a deadly mid air collision near Ronald Reagan International Airport in Arlington, Virginia on January 31, 2025. — AFP pic

Staffing crunch

The agency’s staffing shortfall is a longstanding problem, McCormick added, due partly to the mandatory retirement age and periodic government shutdowns that have hit recruitment.

These problems worsened during the pandemic, which temporarily halted training.

A shortage of air traffic controllers became a major gripe when airlines began ramping up service amid a surge in travel demand from consumers eager to see the world after Covid-19 lockdowns.

Busy hubs like New York City and Miami now have two-thirds or fewer of the number of needed air traffic controllers.

In light of the shortage, the Federal Aviation Administration has waived minimum flight requirements at New York airports, allowing carriers to fly fewer flights while still retaining their takeoff and landing slots.

The FAA has renewed this waiver — first granted in 2023 — through October 2025 in a sign the agency does not expect the air traffic controller labour crunch to ease this summer.

Industry officials point to a FAA report which cited a staff shortage of about 3,000 controllers.

There were around 10,800 air traffic controllers at the end of 2024. The agency hired more than 1,800 last year and has a goal of hiring 2,000 this year, the Department of Transportation said in December.

Airlines for America, which represents major US carriers, has worked with the FAA and universities to expand controller training at more schools, expanding capacity beyond the FAA’s training centre in Oklahoma City.

Louisiana Tech University was recently approved by the agency to offer curricula. It will begin offering basic instruction this spring under its four-year undergraduate program.

The FAA “really want us to get in the program,” said Matthew Montgomery, head of professional aviation at Louisiana Tech University. “They want more people in there to relieve the stresses.” — AFP