Air traffic control team members outraged after shocking image leaks from annual union trip: 'Needs to be investigated'
A Reddit post in the r/atc2 subreddit showed leadership from several air traffic control centers in the northeastern United States on a yacht off Long Island.
The photo's caption described the event as an opportunity for membership to "connect, share concerns, and enjoy a day of fishing and camaraderie on the water."
However, the timing and optics of the trip were less than ideal. The FAA gutted the air traffic control support network in February 2025, firing 400 maintenance workers and support staff. Meanwhile, systems at Newark Liberty International Airport, which handle a significant amount of air traffic in the region, have been in disarray for months, with staff stretched to their limits before a full system failure in May of this year.
Air traffic controllers described the situation as grim long before the failure, due to staffing shortages and growing hardware issues. Choosing this moment to go and fish off a yacht might not have been the wisest of choices.
On top of that, taking a yacht for a staff retreat may not be the most environmentally conscious choice they could have made. Yachts of all sizes consume significant amounts of fuel and often do not burn that fuel efficiently. They pump carbon dioxide, methane, and other pollutants into the atmosphere, adding to our planet's continued heating.
Commenters on the post were quick to pile onto the decision.
"NATCA needs to be investigated as a Ponzi scheme," said one.
"What a nice day fishing while everyone else from their facilities has to spend the weekend actually working!" said another.
"Did anybody share the concern that our pay hasn't kept up with inflation over the years let alone any ability to move up the payscale, which is a whole other problem," said a third.
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