FAA Staffing: Better Strategy Needed to Ensure Facilities Are Properly Staffed
Highlights
GAO discussed the effectiveness of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) efforts to rebuild its work force since the air traffic controller strike 10 years ago. GAO noted that: (1) according to FAA-updated staffing standards, FAA is about 700 controllers, or 4 percent, below its overall staffing goal of 18,300; (2) at selected air traffic control facilities, actual staffing levels differ substantially from the prescribed standards; and (3) FAA is developing a new plan to improve its hiring, training, and placement of controllers, but the agency is still undertaking related corrective actions that were initiated as long ago as 1987; (4) FAA instituted a pay demonstration project to enhance it ability to recruit and retain experienced, qualified personnel in certain hard-to-staff facilities; (5) FAA started a college training program to provide another source of FAA controllers; and (6) FAA plans to contract for the operation of low-level facilities.