According to a preliminary internal report from the Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ), staffing levels at the airport’s control tower were unusual given the time of day and the volume of air traffic. A solitary air traffic controller was reportedly executing two unique roles at the time of the incident, responsibilities that are usually split between two people, according to the report obtained by The Associated Press.
According to the report,” The place design was not typical for the amount of traffic and the time of day.” A source with knowledge of the situation later informed Fox News Digital that the power tower was operating at a normal level that day. According to the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, controllers generally mix positions when taking breaks or switching between shifts or when air traffic is light.
In this case, a officer authorized the position combination, though it remains vague why. The source described the weather traffic as mild compared to earlier reports that evening’s heavy traffic.
Reagan National’s continued lack of air traffic controllers has been a problem for years. The building had just 19 fully accredited controllers in September 2023, which is below the FAA and devices ‘ federation target of 30. Reagan National is not the only airport that has encountered this manpower issue; numerous other air traffic control facilities all over the country have experienced similar shortages.
Prior to now, there have been concerns about lack of personnel in air traffic control. Last month, Barry Biffle, CEO of Frontier Airlines, cautioned during an looks on FOX Business Network’s The Claman Clock that these shortages could lead to administrative problems, especially during peak travel times. He noted that despite technological advancements improving performance over the long run, the lack of controllers still causes major flight delays and cancellations.
