Serious Problems Continue to Trouble the Air Traffic Control Work Force

GAO reviewed the results of its 1988 survey of air traffic controllers, supervisors, and facility managers at the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) 84 largest facilities. GAO found that: (1) controllers and, to a lesser extent, supervisors were troubled by a wide range of working conditions, such as handling too much traffic, overtime, quality of developmental training, morale, airline scheduling practices, out-of-date equipment, and other aspects of air traffic control that affect system safety and operating efficiency; (2) facility managers had a more favorable view of working conditions; (3) the results showed that there was little improvement in the air traffic control system since a 1985 survey, and the system's margin of safety remained less than desirable; and (4) FAA has implemented human resource and modernization initiatives, but has not closed the perception gap between facility managers and the rest of the work force.