Air Traffic Union Chief Says FAA Jeopardizing Safety With
Slow Maintenance

Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Water leaks, obscured sight lines, toxic fumes, mold,
asbestos, pest infestations and poor heating and cooling
were reported in a survey by the National Air Traffic
Controllers Association of its field representatives at the
nation's 314 airport towers and traffic and radar control
centers. Responses were obtained from 220 sites.

Air traffic controllers say poor maintenance of their aging
work places has hampered and harmed them and could endanger
the flying public.

The Federal Aviation Administration, which employs the
controllers, has not given priority to maintaining and
preserving aging air traffic control facilities, argued
Patrick Forrey, president of the controllers' union.

"The resulting environmental conditions have jeopardized the
safety of workers as well as the effectiveness of the
equipment they use — both of which can negatively impact the
safety of the air traffic system," Forrey said in testimony
prepared for a hearing Tuesday by the House aviation
subcommittee .

"We recognize that we have a backlog of maintenance and
repair," said Bruce Johnson, FAA's vice president of
terminal services. "And we are taking steps to reduce that
backlog ... We are making headway."

In prepared testimony, Johnson said that repairs and
maintenance affecting safety "as always are our first
priority." He added that high priority needs like a leaking
roof or an air conditioner outage during summer are
addressed immediately, while lower priority needs like new
paint and carpet are planned through the agency's annual
budget process.

Forrey said:

— Seventy-five reported water leaks including six with
frequent leaks directly over controllers or equipment. At
the Atlanta Center "controllers have had to hold an umbrella
over the radar scope in order to see the planes and hope
they do not get electrocuted while working."

— More than 100 facilities reported extreme temperature
variations because of poor heating or cooling. Because of
recurrent condensation on the San Juan tower windows
"controllers are sometimes 'blind,' without the ability to
scan the runways or taxiways."

— Operations have been interrupted and some controllers
taken ill because noxious fumes entered their work place,
including poisonous carbon monoxide at the New York Terminal
Radar Approach Control in April and welding fumes at the
Dulles airport tower outside Washington, D.C., in May.

Of the 220 facilities reporting, 62 rated their conditions
poor. Another 18 called theirs "outright dangerous" and said
they "were concerned with their personal well being as well
as the facility's ability to handle the daily aircraft
operations."