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GAO-25-108597 1 (August 28, 2025)

handle is hein.gao/gaesrh0001 and id is 1 raw text is: U.S. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE 441 G St. N.W. Washington, DC 20548 August 28, 2025 The Honorable Sean Duffy Secretary United States Department of Transportation The Honorable Howard Lutnick Secretary United States Department of Commerce Aviation Meteorologists: Urgent Actions Needed to Address Staffing Concerns The Department of Transportation's (DOT) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is responsible for ensuring the safety and efficiency of more than 45,000 flights per day in the National Airspace System (NAS).1 Adverse weather that affects flying conditions creates demand for FAA decisions to facilitate the safe and efficient use of the NAS. To help FAA make these decisions, meteorologists from the National Weather Service (NWS), within the Department of Commerce's (Commerce) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), provide decision support services to FAA at the Air Traffic Control System Command Center (command center) and Air Route Traffic Control Centers (en route center) for any weather event that could have an impact on air traffic operations and safety of flight.2 A group of NWS meteorologists-known as a center weather service unit (CWSU)-work on site with air traffic controllers at each of FAA's 21 en route centers to provide routine decision support services 16 hours a day/7 days a week. A similar group of aviation meteorologists are on site at the command center, fulfilling this responsibility nationally. According to NOAA, the catalyst that placed meteorologists in each center was the 1977 crash of Southern Airways flight 242, which flew into a thunderstorm and crashed en route to Atlanta.3 The ensuing investigation found that excessive water and hail had caused both of the aircraft's engines to fail. The 1Maintaining safety in air commerce is one of FAA's highest priorities by statute. See 49 U.S.C. §§ 40101, 40103. 2The Air Traffic Control System Command Center, located in Warrenton, VA, manages the flow of air traffic within the United States. This facility regulates air traffic when weather, equipment, runway closures, or other conditions place stress on the NAS. In these instances, traffic management specialists at the command center take action to modify traffic demands to keep traffic within system capacity. Air Route Traffic Control Centers are FAA facilities that control high-altitude flight outside the airport tower and terminal areas. 30n April 4, 1977, Southern Airways flight 242 crashed after losing thrust from both engines while traveling through severe thunderstorms, a determination made by the National Transportation Safety Board. Specifically, the loss of thrust was caused by ingestion of massive amounts of water and hail which, in combination with thrust lever movement, induced severe stalling in and major damage to the engine compressors. Of the 85 people aboard, 62 were killed, 22 were seriously injured, and one was slightly injured. Among other contributing factors were limitations in FAA's air traffic control system, which precluded the timely dissemination of real-time hazardous weather information to the flight crew on the intended flight route. GAO-25-108597 Aviation Meteorologists Page 1