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In written testimony that will be presented to a U.S. Senate committee on Thursday, acting Federal Aviation Administration administrator David A. Smith said the agency plans to hire 2,000 trainee air traffic controllers this year.
In written testimony, acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau stated that the agency would also create a panel “to identify additional hazards involving helicopter-fixed-wing interactions”.
The FAA is about 3,500 air traffic controllers short of targeted staffing levels and has about 10% fewer controllers than it did in 2012.
The panel was created in response to a deadly collision that occurred on January 29, between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet passenger near Reagan Washington National Airport. 67 people were killed.
The FAA has placed permanent restrictions on passenger flights when helicopters are required to transit close to the airport. The FAA is also examining traffic at major airports following the National Transportation Safety Board’s urgent recommendations made this month.
Rocheleau has said that he wants to improve aviation safety.
His testimony states, “We must identify trends and become smarter in how we use data. When we implement corrective measures, we must also execute them.”
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy intends to ask Congress to provide tens of billions of dollars to upgrade aging FAA facilities and technology and to increase the hiring of air traffic controllers.
The shortage of controllers is causing delays in flights. In many places, controllers work six-day weekends and overtime.
Rocheleau stated that the FAA has a strict oversight over Boeing, which “extends to continuous monitoring of Boeing’s production practices, maintenance procedures and software updates.”
Duffy stated this month that Boeing has lost the trust of the public.
In January 2024, former President Joe Biden’s FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker imposed a 38-plane monthly production cap after a mid-air emergency on a new Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 that remains in place.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg is scheduled to testify before the Senate Commerce Committee next week. Boeing has not yet commented on the testimony.
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