Turbulence ahead: Government shutdown affects future air traffic controllers’ perspectives

By Adriana Gasiewski/Kent State NewsLab

Jack Oliver always had a “passion” for aviation. He studied air traffic and airspace management at Kent State University and now works as a ramp lead at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. He’s working towards becoming an air traffic controller.

“As long as I could be around planes and aviation, I’m happy,” he said. “I’ve had that passion since I could walk.”

The industry needs more people like Oliver, officials say. Starting around 2014, the Federal Aviation Administration began to notice a decrease in the number of air traffic controllers. Currently, the FAA is about 3,800 air traffic controllers short of its adequate staffing goal. As a result, more than 41% of air traffic controllers work 10-hour days, six days a week, National Air Traffic Controllers Association president Nick Daniels told CNN in October.

NATCA, which represents 10,800 air traffic controllers, reported their morale is at a historic low.

And that was before a 43-day federal government shutdown, during which over 13,000 air traffic controllers had to continue to report to work without pay.

American Airlines Capt. and Allied Pilots Association spokesperson Dennis Trajer said the government shutdown impacted air traffic controllers’ job and life stability. He believes legislators need to avoid shutdowns, but also realize the future of air traffic safety is at stake.

“Those who are creating an environment that undermines that confidence have to know that you might be changing young minds from pursuing this profession — one that requires deep financial investment and the highest of performance standards,” he said.

Drew McQueen, Great Lakes regional vice president of NATCA, said as a result of the low “critical staffing” and government shutdown, he has noticed veteran and newer air traffic controllers leave the profession.

“Simply because, ‘Look, I need to be paid. I’m tired of riding the roller coaster every couple of years, every five years of going through this where I’m not getting paid,’” he said. “They’re finding other employment opportunities with more stable income.”

The shutdown also limited aviation students’ opportunities to hear from professionals and explore airports.

Rubén Del Rosario, director of Kent State’s Center for Advanced Air Mobility and interim director of the School of Aeronautics, intended to have a speaker from the FAA come talk to students. But because the speaker was not considered an “essential employee,” the talk was cancelled.

Kent’s Air Traffic Control Club was supposed to go to the FAA Cleveland Air Route Traffic Control Center in Oberlin on Oct.10, but because of the shutdown, the trip was postponed.

“The interaction between air traffic controllers, or between professionals, between those essential federal employees and students,” said Jason Boergerhoff, assistant professor at Kent State’s School of Aeronautics. “That’s what’s probably the biggest disruption right now that we’ve seen.”

As a former member of the ATC Club, Oliver credits these visits with preparing him to enter the aviation field, providing him and others with an idea of the work environment.

Oliver is now preparing to take on a job as a ramp tower controller at Washington Dulles Airport in Virginia.

Oliver has passed the Air Traffic Skills Assessment, which is a logic-based test designed for future air traffic controllers, three times. But he has yet to receive a Temporary Offer Letter, an acceptance letter placing the test taker at a facility to gain firsthand experience as a controller. 

Receiving a letter can be very difficult as test takers can perform well, but due to the large application pool and the test’s competitiveness, may receive no offer letter.

He remains optimistic about an aviation career as the government shutdown has shown to him how vital air traffic controllers are.

“It is the most high-stress job, in my opinion, and having to deal with — especially at a large airport or ramp facilities — the amount of crossing traffic that one controller has to manage is insane,” he said. “This shutdown is really painting a picture for how vital and important air traffic controllers are.”

Although McQueen understands that the lack of stability will cause some to pursue other career paths, he remains confident that those who pursue air traffic control will have the passion needed.

“They have a passion. They come to work, they do their job day in and day out,” he said. “We’re aviation safety professionals, and that’s the way that we treat our job everyday.”

This story was originally published by the Kent State NewsLab, a collaborative news outlet publishing journalism by Kent State students.