It’s easy to compare the air traffic control environment to a hospital’s operating room. Air traffic controllers can be likened to surgeons, highly trained professionals who are responsible for the lives of millions of Americans every day. While controllers are on the frontline of the National Airspace System (NAS), they are hardly autonomous. Controlling the NAS is akin to performing complex procedures like surgery. Doctors may have the skills and training to perform the actual surgeries, but they rely deeply on whole teams of people, directly and indirectly. In order to save patients, they need anesthesiologists, surgical assistants, nurses and orderlies at their sides during each procedure. Indirectly, they rely on facility crews who maintain operating rooms and equipment, pharmacists, intake administrators and case managers. Not to mention the HR administrators who hire them and the accountants who pay them. Nearly 3,000 NATCA members have been furloughed. Among these are staff support specialists who work at air traffic control facilities day in and day out and are a critical and essential part of the aviation industry. Other aviation safety professionals, including Aircraft Certification specialists, Quality Assurance staff specialists, Plans and Programs specialists, engineers, flight test pilots and technical support specialists, and many others, are among the hundreds of thousands of federal employees impacted by the government shutdown. When these professionals are not legally allowed to go to work as a result of a political game of chicken, an element of risk is introduced into the NAS. Directly or indirectly, NATCA’s entire membership, controllers and support alike, is vital in keeping the American airspace the safest, most efficient system in the world.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Oct 2013 20:07:01 +0000
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