Controllers Miss Memo On New Air Routes

What if they opened up 15 new air routes and didn’t tell the controllers? That’s the scenario facing East Coast controllers as the FAA tries to clear up the congestion going into Florida, according to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA). In a news release, NATCA claims that controllers in Boston, New York and Washington, through whose airspace the sun-seekers must pass, haven’t been briefed on the Florida Airspace Optimization Project and blames the FAA for cutting off the lines of communication. “This is yet another casualty of the FAA’s foolish decision to cut off all collaboration with controllers,” said NATCA spokesman Jim Marinitti. However, those controllers who did know about the plan weren’t very keen on it. Miami controllers have gone on record opposing the project and their counterparts up north may not have to worry about it. “They [Miami controllers] have stated that they refuse to place system users or the flying public at risk,” says a NATCA news release. The release also says the Miami controllers claim the plan is unworkable because of the complexity of Miami’s airspace.