News / Shortage of US air traffic controllers impeding air cargo expansion

Air traffic control (ATC) constraints in the US are affecting growth in commercial aviation, with repercussions for the air cargo sector.

On 27 November, United Airlines publicly voiced its frustration at the problem, complaining that a shortage of air traffic controllers was disrupting its operations at Newark International Airport, its prime transatlantic hub.

The shortage resulted in delays and cancellations of flights, longer flight times and long aircraft taxi periods, affecting flights on 12 of the first 25 days of November.

The problem is the result of a staffing shortage. ATC staffing at Newark was 59% below target levels last month – and this is no isolated phenomenon.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) cut minimum flight requirements at the New York City area airports through October in response to ATC staffing shortages.

And nor is it a new problem: a report in June last year showed 77% of critical ATC facilities in the US as short-staffed.

Canada is in the same boat. Last year, Nav Cananda, which runs the nation’s civil aviation navigation system, admitted that delays and flight cancellations were in part caused by personnel shortages.

In both countries Covid triggered large cuts in ATC staffing, while simultaneously the agencies terminated training programmes, wiping out the pipelines for new air traffic controllers. In February this year, the FAA had 10,700 certified controllers on its books, 10% fewer than in 2012.

It has hired 1,811 new controllers this year, 11 more than planned, but was still 3,000 short by May.

There are efforts to diversify training to several simulator-based flying schools, and the administration has been urged to embrace more efficient air traffic management practices like dynamic air space allocation and leverage technology, but the FAA has been hobbled by insufficient funding for years. According to some reports, the authority is operating an outdated communication system and facilities are in disrepair.

The repercussions are twofold: airlines are faced with flight constraints; and flights can be delayed or cancelled as air space gets more crowded.

Moreover, the ATC controllers have been stretched to the limit, and often beyond. They have been routinely working six days a week, plus overtime, which has been blamed as one reason for a steep increase in runway incursions and near-misses. Since May, the FAA has recorded 1,115 runway incursions and more than 180 operational incidents that could be traced back to traffic controller decisions. These included near-collisions on the ground at New Orleans and San Francisco airports and an incident over Dallas where an American Airlines plane had to go into a steep climb to avoid a United flight.

United did not mention any impact on its cargo business from the problems at Newark, but this segment was inevitably affected by the cancellations and delays, albeit to a limited degree. Forwarders have not reported any significant disruption from this.

“We are not aware of any notable cargo delays as a result of shortages with ATC personnel in the US,” a spokesman for AIT Worldwide Logistics commented.

“As far as sensitive cargo is concerned, while it is in the air it is still in a controlled environment from a temperature point of view,” added retired industry leader and head of Emirates SkyCargo Ram Menen. “The challenge comes more for standard perishables which are not subject to special handling and subjected to more claims. A couple of hours’ delay here and there is not a big issue for over 90-95% of the loads. It does, however, have a major cost impact for airlines – higher costs in fuel burn and all related flying costs, and this also affects the utilisation of assets. Then there are issues with connections through the hub.”

United does not operate any freighter aircraft, but although they take off and land mostly in off-peak travel hours, other carriers’ freighters are affected. Mr Menen noted that cargo planes were typically given lower priority than passenger flights

United CEO Scott Kirby is not holding his breath for a quick resolution of the problem. At an industry event in September, he said he expected the controller shortage to last for years.