FAA Work Forces

The number of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) staff is unlikely to increase during the next several years. If the current level remains unchanged, today's challenges will take on added importance once the economy improves and the volume of air traffic increases. FAA faces a number of staffing problems, including incorrect staffing standards, imbalances of staffing at facilities, lack of follow-through on prior safety commitments, lack of systems for targeting resources to areas that pose the greatest safety risks, and inadequate training of certification staff. FAA also faces challenges in training its security staff and effectively communicating security information from headquarters to the field. Although FAA is trying to upgrade its aircraft certification training program, GAO believes that having specific annual requirements would help ensure that staff received adequate training to effectively certify aircraft.