WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) sent a letter to Billy Nolen, acting Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in light of recent flight cancellations and delays that have impacted millions of travelers across New England. In her letter, Shaheen urged the implementation of transparency measures to address staffing shortages of fully certified controllers (CPCs) to strengthen America’s air traffic control (ATC) workforce and bolster resiliency in the National Airspace System (NAS). Among other recommendations, she urged for data on attrition, as well as transparency around staffing and trainee targets, to be included in the FAA’s Controller Workforce Plan, which is submitted to Congress annually.

Shaheen wrote, in part, “Addressing staffing challenges across the National Airspace System requires a fully transparent assessment of facility staffing levels, including data on attrition and anticipated attrition. In addition, FAA should work collaboratively with representatives of the controller workforce to regularly update CPC operational staffing targets for each ATC facility to ensure safe and efficient operation. FAA and the workforce representatives should collaborate to set trainee targets in order to achieve and maintain the CPC targets in light of anticipated attrition. I believe FAA should report these data as part of its annual report to Congress on ATC staffing.”

Shaheen continued, “Including these details in the FAA’s annual Controller Workforce Plan would better inform Congress by providing greater transparency and it would assist us in addressing the staffing shortages at various ATC facilities across the country.”