The inspector general's office found that air traffic control at LAX has remained at required staffing levels of between 39 and 47 controllers including trainees for the last decade. As of December 2008, about 20% of the controller workforce was in training, the report stated.
But auditors said the number of fully certified air traffic controllers at LAX declined from 45 in 2004 to 39 in 2008 and that the airport has had difficulty keeping trainees on the job, losing seven of 19 new controllers in 2007 and 2008.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Wednesday, April 29, 2009 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 4 Metro Desk 1 inches; 60 words Type of Material: Correction
Air safety audit: An article in Tuesday's Section A about an audit of air traffic control centers quoted Mike Foote, a representative of the National Air Traffic Controllers Assn., as saying that reductions in controller staffing at LAX were due to declines in flight operations. The comment was actually made by Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration.
In addition, the audit stated that LAX has had a hard time attracting and retaining controllers that come from airports across the country because of a lack of financial incentives. Controllers say that transferring to LAX can result in salary reductions.
Mike Foote, an L.A. representative for the National Air Traffic Controllers Assn., said the LAX tower used to have more fully certified controllers and that the authorized staffing was once between 47 and 51.
He said the lower authorized level of 39 to 47 controllers reflects a large decline in flight operations at LAX, which have dropped more than 20% since 2000.
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dan.weikel@latimes.com
