The Jacksonville Air Route Traffic Control Center is responsible for managing the airspace over parts of five states: Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North and South Carolina . During the holiday season, the center experienced some troubling times that caused delays and cancellations for many travelers.
Pete Buttigieg United States Secretary of Transportation under fire for repeated struggles with air traffic control issues during his tenure.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the center is one of twenty domestic enroute air traffic control centers. It is responsible for approximately 160,000 square miles of airspace and controls the airspace over twenty military airports and about 225 civilian airports . The center-wide average daily traffic count is approximately 8600 operations, with peak traffic being over 9770 operations in one day .
The exact nature of the issues that occurred during the holiday season is not clear. However, it is known that the center experienced delays and cancellations that affected many travelers . The FAA has not released any official statements regarding the cause of these issues. However
findings indicate that the present administration has taken minimal action to address the pressing issue of controller staffing at the most congested air traffic control (ATC) facilities. According to the report, a staggering 77% of crucial ATC facilities currently operate with staffing levels falling below the FAA’s designated 85% threshold.
The disruption caused by COVID-19 led to training interruptions spanning nearly two years, resulting in a substantial increase in controller certification times, as highlighted in the audit. The report emphasizes that due to the unpredictability of training outcomes, the FAA is unable to guarantee the successful training of an adequate number of controllers in the immediate future. This situation further exacerbates the challenges faced by the ATC system.
The Jacksonville Air Route Traffic Control Center is operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year . The center works varied shifts to provide continuous coverage in the control room . The center is staffed by controllers who undergo rigorous training that involves academic study, both classroom and computer-assisted laboratory simulations, and on-the-job instruction .
In conclusion, the Jacksonville Air Route Traffic Control Center is responsible for managing a large area of airspace and controls the airspace over many airports. During the holiday season, the center experienced some troubling times that caused delays and cancellations for many travelers. The FAA has not released any official statements regarding the cause of these issues. However, the center is staffed by highly trained controllers who work hard to ensure the safety of all travelers.
