NATCA President Pat Forrey Testifies on Working Conditions

The president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) told the House aviation subcommittee on Tuesday morning that while the group supports modernization efforts, the bricks and mortar that house that equipment and controllers are from the Stone Age. Patrick Forrey described problems ranging from toxic mold to condensation on tower windows that contribute to making controllers' jobs even tougher than they already are. "Unfortunately, the aging air traffic control facilities that house these advances have gone unchanged," he said. "More importantly, the maintenance and basic structures are not keeping pace with the rest of the industry and this is weakening controllers ability to operate."

Forrey said some of the problems present serious health hazards to workers. Several facilities have had recurring problems with toxic mold and when efforts were made to get rid of the mold, workers were exposed to harsh chemicals that made some of them sick. He said climate control systems work poorly in most facilities, sapping controllers' concentration from working in too-cold or too-hot conditions. Unfortunately, the temperature problems are not restricted to older facilities. He said the temperature ranges between 50 and 100 degrees at the new tower at Addison, Texas.