Tag #Faa Staffing

What immediate impact does the understaffing of air traffic controllers have on aviation safety in the US?

On Wednesday, a fatal collision between an American Airlines flight and a military helicopter occurred near Reagan National Airport (DCA). At the time, DCA's air traffic control tower was understaffed, with one controller managing the workload of two. This understaffing is not unique to DCA; nationwide, only about 70% of air traffic controller positions are filled by fully certified personnel.