Latest news with #HarveyScolnick
New York Post
21-05-2025
- General
- New York Post
Veteran air traffic controller lays out what is wrong with Newark airport: ‘Minimum staffing affects everything'
Controller is a calling Retired air traffic controller Harvey Scolnick: 'Newark Airport hasn't enough controllers. Minimum staffing affects everything. Another issue? Infrastructure. Newark radar, now old, is actually controlled in Philadelphia. 'In my 38-year career I lost both — ONCE — at same time. I was working at Kennedy. Busy Friday evening. Our room went totally dark. Lights, radar scopes, technicians, plates, all frequencies, everything stopped. Understand, radar scopes used by Newark's controllers are old.' Lifelong pro So who actually is Harvey Scolnick? 'Four years Air Force. Then LAN [Local Area Networks]. Then San Antonio, an aeronautical center. Then another in Oklahoma 20 weeks. Maybe 60% get through the process. There's understanding weather and its effects on airplanes. Then Air Traffic Control school. 'There's not enough 365-days-a-year qualified controllers. Newark lost five. Equipment's old. Same airports we had 50 years ago. Runways, concrete still the same. But more airplanes require more airspace. The other issue? Infrastructure. Lines are old. Developed long back.' No easy days 'Each controller's responsible for a geographical area. It's make a plan. They're coming at you from different directions. Decide who's first, second, third. It's like a big chess game because LaGuardia's next to it. And Kennedy. And smaller private terminals. There's Teterboro, White Plains, Morristown, Caldwell, Linden all overlapping in that airspace. You must slow that traffic down. 'FAA standard between planes is at least 3 nautical miles by space or altitude. Important is weather. 'Data blocks on each aircraft tell controllers which flight number or serial number of each aircraft and identification number and where flight's headed and if for a different airfield eventually.' A chess game 'Your controller must provide 3 miles and 1,000 feet and who's going to be first, second, third, in landing. You line them up one behind the other, headed for the runway approach, then turn them over to the tower who says, 'clear the land' and it's like a moving chess game. Almost artistic. 'The training's scary because you're afraid of making a mistake. Hurricane, clouds, rain all figure into your decision. Each controller is responsible for a geographical area up to a certain altitude. And there's worry about helicopters, drones, private planes including maybe some skywriter guy. 'An airplane creates a wake behind it just like a boat creates its wake behind it. 'It's lots of stuff going on at once.' So controllers need worry about that, too. Fasten your seat belt. Enjoy Memorial Day. I'll see you again Wednesday.
Newsweek
06-05-2025
- Newsweek
Retired Air Traffic Controller Reveals If He'd Fly Out of Newark Airport
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A retired air traffic controller said it's safe to fly out of Newark Liberty International Airport but stressed that building a larger workforce is the bigger challenge. Why It Matters Newark Airport, under the auspices of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, has made national headlines over the past week because of drastic increases in flight delays and cancellations for reasons including staffing shortages and inclement weather. What To Know Retired Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic controller Harvey Scolnick told CNN This Morning anchor Audie Cornish on Tuesday that he has "no problem whatsoever" flying out of Newark, calling the airspace "safe." "I still think they have a staffing problem," Scolnick said. "They're talking about hiring 2,000 controllers next year. They may have to hire double that, or maybe 5,000. That is the issue. "Controllers want time off. It's difficult to get time off. They're working mandatory six-day weeks. The fact that controllers are now required to have extra time off in between shifts makes it more difficult to swap. I honestly think that controllers are overworked and don't see any light at the end of the tunnel." People wait in line for a delayed flight at Newark Liberty International Airport on May 5, 2025, in Newark, New Jersey. People wait in line for a delayed flight at Newark Liberty International Airport on May 5, 2025, in Newark, New federal government is being more aggressive in "supercharging" air traffic controller hires to boost the airspace and, in turn, bolstering safety while reducing disrupted flights. That has included a multi-faceted campaign set forth by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the FAA to provide potential new air traffic controller hires with higher base salaries and swifter hiring times. The government's plan includes hiring at least 2,000 controllers this year, which they say can be accomplished by streamlining the hiring process from its former routine eight-step process to a five-step process—which the FAA said has already shaved five months off wait times and allowed more than 8,300 candidates to take the aptitude exam, or Air Traffic Skills Assessment (ATSA). The approximate median annual wage for air traffic control specialists is $127,805, according to FAA data. Salaries for entry-level air traffic control specialists increase as they complete each new training phase. An agreement between the FAA and National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) also provides incentives for potential applicants, including a $5,000 reward for new hires who successfully complete the initial qualification training and a $10,000 award for Academy graduates who are assigned to one of 13 hard-to-staff air traffic facilities. Scolnick acknowledged that being an air traffic controller is "a high-pressure job" that requires quick decisions and adjustments in the heat of the moment. The situation involving Newark is not necessarily a surprise, he added. "Now, these controllers at Newark, many of them are unhappy to begin with," he said. "They were, about a year ago, working at a facility in Westbury, Long Island, and suddenly they found themselves working at a facility at the Philadelphia airport. So, they're not too happy to begin with because they've had to relocate. "In addition, they are short-staffed. And that seems to be the problem at the FAA right now. The FAA for years, as I can recall, in the busier facilities, has always operated short of the required number of fully certified controllers that were programmed for those facilities." What People Are Saying An NATCA spokesperson told Newsweek: "The dedicated, American, hard-working employees who serve as controllers are the foundation of our air traffic control system. These controllers and the thousands of other aviation safety professionals represented by NATCA ensure the safe and efficient movement of millions of passengers and tons of cargo through our dynamic airspace every day. These professionals ensure the safe movement of aircraft through the National Airspace System as a primary goal." An FAA spokesperson told Newsweek: "Our antiquated air traffic control system is affecting our workforce. We must get the best safety technology in the hands of controllers as soon as possible. We are working to ensure the current telecommunications equipment is more reliable in the New York area by establishing a more resilient and redundant configuration with the local exchange carriers. In addition, we are updating our automation system to improve resiliency." What Happens Next Air travelers hoping for a reprieve on Tuesday at Newark were disappointed. As of 12:15 p.m. ET, 194 flights into or out of Newark had been delayed and 100 had been canceled, according to flight tracker FlightAware.
