Tester questions FAA nominee
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News from the office of Senator Tester
U.S. Senate — U.S. Senator Jon Tester recently pressed Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator nominee Michael Whitaker on his plan to address staffing shortages in rural airports, including many in Montana. If confirmed, Mr. Whitaker will be the top official in the FAA, tasked with recruiting and retaining the nation’s aviation workforce.
Tester began his remarks by stressing the importance of retaining and recruiting a robust aviation workforce, emphasizing the workforce shortage that airports across the country are facing specifically with air traffic controllers: “We’re seeing shortages (with air traffic controllers) too,” Tester said. “My question to you is, do you have any plans on how we can address that workforce shortage? Because, frankly, it’s a life-or-death situation.”
Mr. Whitaker emphasized the importance of having a wide pipeline, and an aggressive recruiting strategy: “It’s definitely an area that we need to focus on and we need to fix,” replied Mr. Whitaker. “It’s been going on for too long and I think it was exacerbated by COVID.”
Tester underscored the challenges that rural communities in particular face when it comes to aviation staffing shortages, specifically with pilots.
“I come from a state where (the airports) are destinations, not hubs,” said Tester. “We’ve got fewer flight options. In fact, it’s fair to say, at least in my case, that this is a different world post-pandemic than it is pre-pandemic. It’s not better, it’s worse. Part of it is that we have no pilots.”
After emphasizing the importance of recruiting and retaining pilots in order to maintain and grow rural airports’ capacity, Tester pressed Mr. Whitaker to have a clear, achievable plan.
