Problems with air traffic control systems

¶ … Air Traffic Control Systems in the United States

An efficient aviation industry is an important part of the nation's security and economy, and the air traffic control systems that are in place represent an essential part of the infrastructure that keeps this vital industry operating. In recent years, though, the aging air traffic control systems in place across the country have come under increased scrutiny as air travel continues to increase amid larger concerns for security in the post-September 11, 2001 environment. To gain some fresh insights into the problems with the air traffic control systems in the United States, this paper provides a review of the relevant literature concerning these issues, followed by a summary of the research and important findings in the conclusion.

Review and Discussion

First and foremost, the air traffic control systems in place across the country depend on seamless communications that do not always work as intended. In fact, the entire air travel process is fraught with opportunities for disaster, and the air crews who are responsible for ensuring safe takeoffs and landings are typically in constant communication with air traffic controllers while they are in close proximity to airports. For instance, during takeoffs and landings, all flight crews are responsible for controlling the aircraft, changing altitude and speed, communicating with air traffic control and/or other aircraft, as well as maintaining sufficient separation from obstacles and other aircraft (Oster, Strong & Dorn, 2003). Likewise, Poole (2008) reports, "A complex network of radars, computers, display screens, and human beings -- known as the air traffic control system -- works 24 hours a day to keep planes safely separated as they move from the departure gate to the runway to the skies and back to another runway and arrival gate" (p. 11). Given this ongoing need for accurate and timely communications, it is not surprising that mistakes happen, but the consequences of these mistakes can be deadly. In fact, errors by air traffic control systems are one of the leading causes of aircraft accidents, trailing only pilot error and equipment malfunctions (Loeb, Talley & Zlatoper, 2004). Indeed, Deitz and Thoms (1999) report that, "Some experts have indicated that as many as two-thirds of all aviation accidents result from deficits in communication between crew members and with air traffic controllers" (p. 37).

There are automated systems in the cockpits of some aircraft that are used to help air traffic controllers monitor potentially dangerous behaviors by flight crews and violations of safety protocols can have severe consequences. For instance, Jacko and Sears (2003) report that, "American air traffic controllers' screens include a conflict alert that is triggered by aircraft coming too close to each other; this system is commonly called the 'snitch patch' because of the punitive consequences of its activation" (p. 868). Because of the punitive nature of these alerts, however, the potential exists for air traffic controllers to hesitate in initiating these alarm systems in time (Jacko & Sears, 2003). Furthermore, air traffic controllers have experienced some problems with their aging computer systems despite calls for updated systems from the air industry and policymakers alike.

Some analysts argue that the air traffic control systems that are in place in the United States are obsolete and require a fundamental -- and enormously expensive -- overhaul to bring them up-to-date (McDougall & Roberts, 2008). In fact, more than 40 countries have already privatized their air traffic control systems and provided them with the funding needed to provide state-of-the-art equipment, but the United States has not followed suit. According to McDougall and Roberts, "The United States has not followed this path. Air traffic control remains within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which in important ways is still organized as a conventional government department" (p. 45). This issue has been the focus of political debate in recent years, and President George W. Bush vowed that the U.S. would pursue privatization of its air traffic control systems based on "the success that various nations ... have experienced with individual air traffic control systems owned and operated by private companies" (quoted in McDougall & Roberts, 2008, p. 46). To date, though, these reforms have not materialized and the air traffic control system remains mired in the FAA bureaucracy (McDougall & Roberts, 2008). In this regard, Poole (2008) emphasizes that, "[the air traffic control system] is managed by an unwieldy government bureaucracy, micromanaged by Congress, and subjected to the ups and downs of the federal budget process. And as air travel continues to grow, the air traffic control system is less and less able to keep pace" (p. 11).

Based on the importance of sound air traffic control systems, there have been a number of studies conducted to determine the primary causes of existing air traffic control system deficiencies. The research to date has identified five main causes as follows:

1. Procurement: cumbersome federal procurement processes end up taking five to seven years to acquire new radar and computer systems -- at a time when a new generation of computers comes along about every 18 months. Thus, the air traffic control system is getting further and further behind.

2. Personnel: federal civil service rules are incompatible with the needs of a high-stress, 24-hour-a-day service business, which must be able to attract and keep the right people in the right, locations at all times.

3. Budget process: the need for air traffic control resources is driven by the growth in aviation activity -- but the FAA's resources are determined by the constraints of balancing the federal budget; moreover, unlike a business, the FAA must fund all major capital expenditures on a pay-as-you-go basis, rather than being able to borrow to pay for long-lived improvements.

4. Micromanagement: both the Department of Transportation and Congress take up huge amounts of FAA management time exerting detailed "oversight" of its operations, keeping it from making and implementing effective long-range plans.

5. Conflict of interest: the FAA serves as both the aviation safety regulator and as the operator of a major component of the aviation system -- air traffic control. Safety regulation should be at arms-length from air traffic control just as it is from airlines and aircraft manufacturers (Poole, 2008, p. 11).