Air Traffic Controllers

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, embarrassed by reports of air-traffic controllers asleep at their jobs, said today that as well-trained professionals they have a "personal responsibility" to get their job done -- including resting when they're off the clock. LaHood reiterated that while he is open to suggestions from the Federal Aviation Administration and the air-traffic controllers union, "we're not going to pay controllers to take naps. I've already decided that. " Speaking to the Chicago Tribune's editorial board, LaHood, a former Republican congressman from Peoria, also said the federal government will fund high-speed rail lines because "the people want it," despite opposition from some Republican governors and the deficit-cutting plans of House Republicans.

The 149 air traffic control towers that were scheduled to close this summer because of federal sequestration will remain open until at least September, government officials said Friday. The Federal Aviation Administration said legislation approved by Congress last month allows the agency to transfer funds from other accounts to keep the towers open until the end of the fiscal year. The towers, run by contract workers, operate at small airports such as Brown Field Municipal Airport in San Diego, Riverside Municipal Airport, Whiteman Airport in Pacoima, Oxnard Airport, Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville and Fullerton Municipal Airport.

Expect delays in air travel of up to an hour starting this weekend because of federal budget cuts that are forcing the furlough of air traffic controllers, federal officials warn. The budget cuts, brought about by the so-called sequestration, will force the federal government to furlough air traffic controllers for about one day per two-week pay period. At Los Angeles International Airport, the nation's third-busiest airport, delays will average about 10 minutes but could extend up to 67 minutes, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Budget cuts won't force the closure of air traffic control towers during overnight shifts, the Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday. But the federal agency said it is still uncertain whether it will be forced this summer to close towers operated by contractors at 149 small and medium-size airports, including several in Southern California. Budget cuts called for by the federal sequestration forced the FAA in April to furlough air traffic controllers for one day every two weeks.

The Federal Aviation Administration official in charge of operating the air traffic control system has resigned amid revelations that several controllers have fallen asleep on the job this year, the FAA chief said Thursday Stepping down is Hank Krakowski, who has been the head of the FAA Air Traffic Organization. David Grizzle, the FAA's chief counsel, will be the acting chief of the unit during a search to fill the post, according to Randy Babbitt, the agency's administrator. The development came after another air traffic controller apparently fell asleep while on duty, the sixth such incident this year that the FAA has disclosed.

Pilots and a top airline group have filed a lawsuit to stop the federal government from cutting work hours for air traffic controllers this weekend, saying the furloughs will lead to travel delays of up to an hour across the country. Airlines for America, a trade group for the nation's airlines, on Friday joined a pilots association and operators of regional carriers in a suit that asks the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to prevent job furloughs called for under the so-called budget sequestration.

By a 193-226 vote, the House rejected an amendment to force the Federal Aviation Administration to rehire 1,000 air traffic controllers fired by President Reagan after their union illegally struck the government in 1981. This occurred as the House debated a $10.3-billion fiscal 1987 appropriations bill (HR 5205) for the Department of Transportation and related agencies. As later sent to the Senate, the bill gave the government the option of rehiring the strikers. Sponsor Guy V. Molinari (R-N.Y.

There seems to be an epidemic of under-sleeping these days. This year alone, seven air traffic controllers have been caught sleeping on duty. In two well-publicized cases, pilots were heard nearly pleading with control towers to guide them in. (The planes landed safely.) The most recent incident occurred Saturday, when a controller was observed sleeping at a Florida tower. (He did not miss any calls from pilots.) In response, the FAA has adjusted controllers' schedules and mandated that additional controllers be assigned during sleepy midnight shifts.

The furloughed air traffic controllers are back at work, and now the nation's airlines can blame only bad weather for delays in getting you to your destination. The furloughs that began about a week ago - delaying hundreds of planes across the country - ended this weekend after Congress passed legislation allowing the Federal Aviation Administration to use infrastructure improvement funds to pay for workers' salaries. The number of delays ranged from about 4,800 on the first day of the furloughs, April 21, to slightly more than 7,000 the following Monday, a heavy travel day, according to FlightStats, a website that monitors airline flight delays and cancellations.

WASHINGTON - Congress approved a quick fix Friday to end the flight delays snarling the nation's airports, and President Obama will sign the bill when it reaches the White House, showing how swiftly compromise can be found when powerful interests demand it. The speedy resolution came after airlines and businesses warned of lost earnings, and travelers - including lawmakers leaving the capital for a weeklong recess - complained about the waits....

On the fourth day of sequester cuts to the ranks of air traffic controllers, airports across the country continue to be hard hit by delays caused by a shortage of controllers -- and severe weather. The Federal Aviation Administration, which began Sunday to furlough about 10% of its air traffic controllers, warned that staff shortages will mean delays at airports in Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Tampa.   Quiz: Test your knowledge about airport security Jennifer Fogg, a construction contractor from Oklahoma City, was fuming Wednesday at Los Angeles International Airport after her morning flight for a business meeting in Mississippi was canceled.

On Monday, the first business day after budget cuts forced the furlough of air traffic controllers, the on-time performance of the nation's airlines dropped nearly 10%. That was a finding based on statistics compiled by Flightstats.com, a website that monitors airline performance rates. To cut more than $600 million called for under federal sequestration, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered air traffic controllers and others to take one day off work in every two-week period.

Sequestration is starting to frustrate air travelers. About 400 flights were delayed Sunday because of air traffic controller furloughs, the Federal Aviation Administration said, and a few more interruptions were reported Monday at Los Angeles International Airport and several East Coast airports. But because of light traffic and good weather, the nation's air travel system operated without serious problems. The FAA warned Monday that more delays are on the horizon when air traffic is heavier and severe weather puts pressure on understaffed air traffic control facilities.

While some airline passengers endured long delays at a few East Coast airports Monday, most of the nation's flights departed without significant problems on the first work day after budget cuts hit federal air traffic controllers. Beginning on Sunday, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered air traffic controllers to take one furlough day for every two-week pay period to cut about $600 million from its budget. Agency officials warned that the cuts would force the FAA to delay arrivals and departures to manage the flow of air traffic.

Local television news reported Sunday night that furloughs of air traffic controllers were causing massive flight delays and cancellations at Los Angeles International Airport. An LAX spokesman could not confirm the report, but a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration said Sunday night that some cutbacks had taken affect Sunday and parts of the nation could be affected. LAX had preliminary figures on flight delays as of early Sunday evening, but they did not necessarily indicate extraordinary disruption, said spokesman Marshall Lowe.

Expect delays in air travel of up to an hour starting this weekend because of federal budget cuts that are forcing the furlough of air traffic controllers, federal officials warn. The budget cuts, brought about by the so-called sequestration, will force the federal government to furlough air traffic controllers for about one day per two-week pay period. At Los Angeles International Airport, the nation's third-busiest airport, delays will average about 10 minutes but could extend up to 67 minutes, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.