"It will require five to seven years of hiring before we break even if everything goes smoothly. Do we really want five to seven more years of daily disruptions? I don't believe so," said Nick Calio, the head of Airlines for America, during the Global Aerospace Summit hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce in Washington, DC. He also emphasized that while the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has hired the maximum number of controllers eligible to graduate from its single certification academy, it won't be sufficient for a quick recovery.
Calio suggested allowing universities with air traffic controller programs to offer certification courses, similar to what other countries do. Earlier this year, the FAA recommended that airlines reduce summer flights by ten percent at airports like Newark, John F. Kennedy, and LaGuardia. Last month, this policy was extended into October. Robin Hayes, the CEO of JetBlue, stated that more advance notice about the FAA's plans would assist the airline in reallocating resources to operate at other airports. He also mentioned that a ten percent reduction might not be adequate. Hayes, along with United Airlines' Scott Kirby, emphasized that the controller shortage becomes particularly apparent when airlines are trying to recover from weather-related disruptions. US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg previously cautioned that the shortage of air traffic controllers in the US could worsen if there is a government shutdown. He mentioned that the country is facing a situation where funding for the federal government expires at the end of this month, leading to the suspension of non-essential government functions starting on October 1st.Buttigieg argued that a government shutdown would impede the US in terms of hiring and expanding the air traffic control workforce at an inopportune moment.
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