Up in the Air on Air Traffic Control

The FAA's answer to currently experienced ATC computer and communications equipment malfunctions and outages is the National Airspace System (NAS) plan, which will spend several billion dollars in equipment modernization. It is presently noted that in the seven years since the plan was announced, little has been accomplished; the plan's costs, moreover, which were originally envisioned as of the order of $9 billion over a 10-year period, have with persistent overruns come to be projected at $17 billion over a 20- year period. Although the NAS plan originally envisioned a reduction of necessary staff due to advanced systems' high degree of automation, it is noted to be essential that the FAA hire additional technician trainees in order to stay even with attrition. (O.C.)