![A Delta Air Lines meteorology team provides weather forecasting. [Credit: Delta Air Lines]](https://www.flyingmag.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/OCC_2-1.jpg)
A federal government watchdog agency is raising concerns about the steady drop in meteorologists at FAA air traffic control (ATC) facilities.
In a report released last week, the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) said that, as of June, there were 69 National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists assigned to the FAA’s en route centers, below the target of 81 set by an agreement between the FAA and the NWS. The report’s authors linked the shortfall to a federal hiring freeze, budget cuts, and voluntary early retirement programs, as well as the worsening working conditions the remaining meteorologists face as their ranks are thinned.
“According to NWS officials and the association representing meteorologists, meteorologists in the [Center Weather Service Units] and at the command center are suffering from burnout, fatigue, and low morale as they are working overtime to maintain operations and are avoiding taking leave,” the GAO wrote.
These conditions make it more likely that meteorologists could make mistakes in their work, the report continued, which could eventually impact airline operations and the safety of flight crews and passengers.
The authors offered as a cautionary example the widespread flight delays and cancellations at Southwest Airlines in December 2022, which left millions of people stranded over the holidays. That incident began with weather problems that were compounded by issues with Southwest’s computer infrastructure, they said.
‘Very Stressful’
NWS meteorologists are assigned to FAA facilities to advise traffic directors on how weather events could affect flights. They might be called upon to predict which direction a storm will move, for example, or to help a controller navigate a flight through a rough patch.
Ideally, each of the FAA’s 21 en route centers would have three meteorologists and one meteorologist-in-charge, but this is only the case in eight of the facilities, most of which are in the Midwest and West. The shortage is especially bad on the East and Gulf coasts—the Boston, Washington, D.C., Houston, and Jacksonville, Florida, facilities have only two meteorologists each. The facility in Oakland, California, has only one.
Some regions lack a meteorologist-in-charge, and the role is filled remotely. Still, the lack of permanent leadership in those facilities has hurt operations and left no one to handle administrative duties, the report found.
NWS officials told GAO researchers that the tight staffing margins are forcing meteorologists to work overtime, forgo leave, and cover two or more areas of responsibility at a time. The federal union that represents aviation meteorologists said their work environment is “very stressful” and not sustainable in the long term.
The GAO also pointed out that the FAA-NWS staffing goal of 81 is itself a scaled-back version of an earlier plan that called for 90 full-time meteorologists. NWS officials who spoke to the watchdog said the FAA proposed the new standard of 81 for fiscal year 2025, which they agreed to despite concerns about overextending staff. The FAA initially advocated for 71, but the NWS convinced agency leaders to reconsider, citing the increased risk of delayed flights, cancelations, and safety incidents.
The report concludes with a recommendation that the administrator of the FAA, in consultation with the NWS, “fully identify potential risks to the safety and efficiency” of the nation’s airspace and take “urgent action” to address them.
FAA Responds
The U.S. Department of Transportation, which the FAA is a part of, issued a response to the GAO’s findings in a letter sent on August 15. It acknowledged the staffing shortage and said it will try to get a better idea of how the issue is affecting operations.
“Upon review of GAO’s draft report, FAA concurs with the recommendation to identify, in consultation with NWS, potential risks to the safety and efficiency of the [National Airspace System] caused by current meteorologist staffing levels and take urgent action to address them,” the letter read.
However, the department also said it is working to develop a “new service delivery model” for fiscal year 2026 and beyond that will “contain changes in the way Center Weather Service Units are staffed and maintained.” By incorporating new technologies, streamlining operations, and centralizing responsibilities, it said, the new model will likely cut the number of NWS meteorologists at FAA facilities down to only 64.
The letter did not explain how those remaining meteorologists would be distributed among the en route centers.
The Transportation Department is expected to issue a more detailed response to the GAO within 180 days.
