As Republicans try to shrink the number of federal government employees, they’ve found one role where they would actually like to have a bigger workforce: air traffic controllers.
The declining number of air traffic controllers is an issue that has been simmering for decades, but last month’s fatal crash near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, or DCA, brought national attention to flight safety issues, including this shortage. Air traffic controllers have been leaving the work in droves for years, often due to stress related to the job. But while there is bipartisan consensus that there’s a problem, there’s no agreement on a solution.
“Let’s just be honest, 56 is really not that old,” Rep. Tony Wied, who serves on the House’s Aviation subcommittee, told NOTUS. “And if someone feels that they’re capable of doing the job longer than that age, they should be able to do it. And, we have the benefit of having people that are more experienced.”