I let out a groan the other day when news hit about an air traffic controller at JFK who let his two young children call out instructions from the tower to pilots.  On the Today Show, two pundits interviewed agreed it was an unwise move but differed on whether safety was actually at risk and whether there should be repurcussions for the ATC . Since that airing, the ATC and his supervisor have in fact been put on paid administrative leave pending an FAA investigation. 

Many firmly in the “it’s not a big deal” camp believe the incident was harmless and the ATC never lost control. I tend to lean more toward the FAAs initial statement by administrator Randy Babbitt: “This lapse in judgment not only violated FAA’s own policies but common sense standards for professional conduct. These kinds of distractions are totally unacceptable. We have an incredible team of professionals who safely control our nation’s skies every single day. This kind of behavior does not reflect the true caliber of our work force.”

 It wasn’t long ago we learned about the two Northwest Airlines pilots who overshot MSP airport by 150 miles and didn’t realize their error until they were in Eau Claire, Wisconsin—because they were distracted by their laptop activities. This was yet another move that defied common sense and could have put many lives at risk. Those pilots did lose their licenses.

It seems to me the airline industry needs a reality check and a good dose of internal communications to remind their employees precisely what their product is: safety. Otherwise, the trust we put in the airline industry could be seriously eroded. 

 -Steph Haugan

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