DCA air traffic controllers working six-day weeks due to staffing gap

DCA Control Tower understaffed, working six day weeks

News, weather, traffic and more from FOX 5, serving the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. DCA air traffic controllers working six-day weeks due to staffing gap.

WASHINGTON - Air traffic controllers at Reagan National Airport are understaffed and working six-day weeks, according to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. 

By the numbers:

NATCA tells FOX 5 DC that DCA is currently operating with 20 fully certified air traffic controllers, when there should be 30. 

To make up for the understaffing, air traffic controllers are working six-day work weeks. 

NATCA also say there are no operational traffic management coordinators – when there should be three coordinators at DCA. 

FAA told FOX 5 DC there are 26 CPCs and 3 trainees currently assigned to DCA, and two traffic management coordinators – with more staffing expected in the coming months. 

The FAA did confirm that controllers work six-day weeks when assigned overtime. 

"The FAA is committed to increasing the air traffic controller workforce and has set ambitious hiring goals to alleviate the demands on current controllers," said the FAA. 

Why you should care:

There is a nationwide shortage of air traffic controllers, with a need for about 3,000 more to fully staff the system. 

After the tragic plane crash at DCA in January and a number of close calls across the country, there are major concerns about fatigue for air traffic controllers. 

The FAA agreed last summer to increase the minimum rest time between shifts. In some high-traffic areas, including New York and Florida, the FAA has limited the number of flights because of the lack of controllers, leading to delays and cancellations for passengers. 

The backstory:

In March, rules at DCA's control tower got stricter in the aftermath of a deadly mid-air collision in January that killed 67 people.

On Jan. 29, an American Airlines plane collided with an Army helicopter, killing everyone onboard.

At the time of the Jan. 29 crash, there was just one person in the tower controlling both planes and helicopters. Aviation experts say this shouldn't be a combined position but it does happen. The FAA made moves to ensure a "stand-alone controller overseeing helicopter traffic more consistently at the airport." 

Tensions remain high. In April, an FAA employee at DCA was charged following a workplace altercation in the air traffic control tower.