AUSTIN (KXAN) — Local leaders have called the shortage of air traffic controllers nationwide dangerous and disruptive.
“I myself have been part of a flight experience when I’m trying to come back to Austin and the pilot gets on the mic and they say, we’re going to be 30-45 minutes delayed because of issues at the Austin airport,” Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Fuentes said.
But air traffic controller staffing is not within the city of Austin’s control — that’s the job of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Thursday, Austin City Council approved a resolution urging the FAA to prioritize staffing at the airport and to do a better job communicating the impacts of short staffing to the city in real time.
“And most importantly, it adds a location solution, so rather than just pointing a finger, we are lending a hand and looking at the ways that we can create Austin’s very own air traffic controller academy,” Fuentes said.
Fuentes is hoping the academy could specifically benefit our airport.
“If we stand up an academy, the first in our state to address the national shortage, can we have that prioritization to have individuals who go through the training get prioritized for our own airport,” she said.
The FAA told KXAN this is a priority for them, too. In July, the FAA said it saw the highest number of Academy students in training in FAA’s history — 550 students by the end of the month, they said.
The FAA also reported it’s shaved more than five months off its administrative process.
“Safety is the FAA’s number one priority. When there are staffing constraints, the FAA will adjust an air traffic control tower or facility’s staffing to cover high-volume air traffic periods. We may also implement traffic management initiatives, such as slowing air traffic into the airport,” the FAA told KXAN in a statement.