flyths1

Correct me if I am wrong but air traffic at the three NYC airports seems to be worse this year then in the other five years I have been in the industry.

I thought that the FAA was going to cap these city's, well if they did it did not work well. Add a few raindrops into the picture and then it is sure disaster. This past Thursday LGA invoked well over 10 GS and 8 GDP programs in at one point they had a GS program 2 times in one hour. Its seem as though there is incompetence as some level with ATC.

I think that it is time this madness stops and new policy's developed at the Airline and FAA level. I think it is time to handle NYC like a NAT or PAC Track where you are given an automatic slot time and you have 10-15 minutes to get off the ground or go to the back of the line instead of everybody just showing up at the same time....At the Airline level I think that they should declare this region a travel risk zone in which when there is inclement wx and there is a possibility of a diversion the PAX should be informed at the gate....if they stay behind they are protected but once the board card is scaned they are on there own from the divert point and the AC is then repositioned to the next city downline...

With the rising cost of the industry a smarter program needs to be thought out. If it means less trafiic into EWR/LGA/JFK that means higher fares could be reaped...lets remeber that SWF/ISP/HPN are just up the street and could be developed with the right motivation and creativity.


What are your thoughts.

saab2000

There has been more TS activity this year than any I have ever seen before. It's not just a few raindrops. As soon as the boomers appear their routes are closed down.

Believe me, I am no apologist for the crap that is the whole NY area, but this year has been especially tough weatherwise.

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coldpilot

Part of it is because of staffing as well. I have a good friend from college that works BDL TRACON and he was telling me that they have ground stops going into New York on a regular basis due to controller staffing.

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TonyWilliams

The agency was recently offering $100k ($25k/yr for 4 years) for any current controller to transfer to NYC. Plus a paid move ($27k or more).

The biggest and most difficult to work ATC facilities are terribly staffed now. SoCal TRACON is in the same staffing situation as NYC.

1000 veteran controllers will probably retire this year. Hundreds will just QUIT (200 did last year). The morale is the lowest it's been since the 1981 strike. They've been operating without a contract since Labor Day 2006.

Currently, 11,000 controllers nationwide wide are fully certified (the lowest number in over a decade), with 3500 trainees plugging the holes in the schedule. Many of these will never check out (note: in the late 80's when I was hired, 50% washed out at the academy, and 40% of those who went to ZOA (Oakland Center) also washed out.)

It's a mess, and not likely to get any better soon, unless the political climate that orchastrated this is changed.

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saxman66

I've heard that its not just staffing, but the reason, is controllers are also trying to protest their workrules and contract. Ever been in JFK on clear calm day, and they are still using only one runway, and there are ground stop programs?

JetPiedmont

Friend of mine that's been in ATC for 25+ years told me the same thing, tired of the understaffing, no contract, and poor work environment.

Sound familiar?

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Ottopilot

It was worse before 9/11. I've been flying out of EWR for 12+ years. It's not so bad compared to the "good ole' days".

I wonder what it will be like this fall with all the airlines cutting back on the schedules? I'm being cut out of the left seat. Soon to be a FO again.

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jmcmanna

That's NOT controllers deciding they're only going to use one runway today. They might only have the staffing to safely use one runway, but we don't intentionally slow down the traffic.

I do not work at JFK, but I have the same employer as controllers there. If I intentionally slowed down traffic, I'd be on the beach faster than you can say "ground stop".

iahflyr

Hopefully the new administration will reopen negotiations with the controllers. I don't understand why the Bush administration is so adamant about not reopening negotiations with the controllers. They even threatened to veto the best FAA funding bill (the one without user fees) only because it would open up the controllers contract for negotiations. As with many problems over the past 8 years, the FAA controller staffing shortage is a result of the worst leadership in Washington I have seen in my lifetime.

Herkulesdrvr

This is another government run entity that needs to be privatized. Let private firms take over and get the U.S. government out of it completely. FEMA, IRS, TSA, SSA, Medicare, they all bring positive thoughts with the unbelievable level of customer service they provide. Go private and get rid of the bureacracy, that is how you fix this mess.