As Congressional leadership advanced a fiscal year 2024 appropriations package at long last, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) cheered the rare bipartisan showing and its additional funding included for the Federal Aviation Administration.
The THUD bill, so-named for the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) committee where it originated, has not yet passed, and NATCA called on all members of the House and Senate to support the six bills within the package.
“NATCA thanks Congressional leadership and the Appropriations Committees for reaching this bipartisan agreement, avoiding a costly and damaging shutdown, and providing necessary investment in our aviation system that millions of Americans rely upon,” NATCA President Rich Santa said. “NATCA hopes this bipartisan collaboration will jumpstart next year’s appropriations process and avoid future budgetary brinksmanship. We urge Congress to pass this appropriations package without delay.”
Big investments were targeted in this year’s bill. For starters, it would supply $12.7 billion for FAA operations – $820 million beyond the current funding level. That funding would help the agency to hire another 1,800 controller trainees and account for increased personnel and other fixed costs. Additionally, $3.2 billion would be given over for FAA facilities and equipment – a nearly $250 million gain. Extra funding would help the agency maintain and upgrade critical aviation technology and infrastructure, and while NATCA – and the FAA, for that matter – emphasized it would’ve liked to see more allotted for this purpose, it considered it a down payment on future investment.
These efforts will in part help address an ongoing staffing shortage nationwide. In the last decade, NATCA reported, the number of certified professional controllers has decreased 10 percent, resulting in mandatory overtime for those who remain, including six-day work weeks and 10-hour workdays in many facilities, which in turn can lead to further burnout.
“This legislation also provides increased funding to maintain and improve air traffic control infrastructure and deploy additional technology to help controllers keep aircraft safe on the ground and in the air,” Santa said. “We look forward to working with Congress and the administration to ensure FY25 funding builds on these important investments so that the United States continues to have the safest and most efficient aviation system in the world for years to come.”
In the meantime, the THUD provisions of the bill also brought wins for the FAA in terms of air traffic and technical operations training lab enhancements and a request to deploy technology for its Surface Awareness Initiative. At $19 million more than requested, the former will allow for an extra en route automation modernization lab and a complementary operations lab. Meanwhile, the Surface Awareness Initiative will receive $15 million above the requested amount for technology focused on altering controllers to potential safety issues.