'Never again will I fly night flights': air traffic controller's revelation about his job shocks passengers

The air traffic controller posted a response on TikTok to a post by another user who asked followers to "name something in your industry or profession that the general public would be shocked to know." Users were really puzzled by the dispatcher's revelation, reports Newsweek.

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"I'm an air traffic controller," @doaviation replied in a May 25 video that has 712 views.

“There are about 139 autonomous federal air traffic control towers in the United States,” he said. — I work at one of them. And every night, 84 of them—about 60 percent—close. And all the dispatchers go home, and there’s no one there to handle traffic, and in the morning they come back and open again.”

Finally, he said: "During the hours when the control tower is closed, it is the responsibility of pilots to talk to other pilots and make sure they don't crash into each other."

These details took most of his audience by surprise, with some viewers saying it would change their flight plans.

“I was really shocked to hear about this,” said one commenter.

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement: “If the control tower is closed, it usually occurs during hours when there is limited or no air traffic. Each control room has standard procedures for safe operation when it is closed.”

The FAA added that the aids, called Terminal Radar Approach Controls (TRACON), guide pilots until they reach their final approaches to airports where control towers are closed.

@doaviation #stitch with @annaschozer air traffic control isn't 24/7 at some places #airtrafficcontrol #pilot #plans #airport ♬ original sound - doaviation

“Once they are in the airspace of the tower, the pilots report their position on the airport’s common frequency,” the spokesman said.
The FAA did not say how much of the air traffic control towers are closed at night.

In the past, air traffic controllers have raised the alarm about staff shortages.

The January 2019 partial closure forced air traffic controllers to work long hours without pay, according to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. Employees were also concerned about safety, saying the new text messaging system to communicate directly with pilots in the cockpit had been shut down.

In 2018, an air traffic controller collapsed while working alone on a busy shift at a Las Vegas airport. The controller slurred to 29 pilots both in the air and on the ground for about 40 minutes before collapsing.

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In response, the FAA changed the staffing table so that two controllers work in each tower, but clarified that this rule is valid "until a certain time" of the day. In particular, it does not apply to the period after midnight. The FAA stressed that the tower cannot be staffed with just one controller before midnight or 90 minutes after the start of the shift (whichever comes first).

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