Word: faa
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...resulting mass firings crippled the nation's vital air transportation network, though in some areas and selected sectors of the economy the impact was palpable. After a confused first day of jammed air terminals, extensive flight cancellations and runway waits of up to two hours before takeoff, the FAA's long-prepared contingency plans rapidly pushed the movement of aircraft back toward normal. As the strike wore on, the percentage of airline flights operating as scheduled showed overall improvement: Monday, 65%; Tuesday, 67%; Wednesday, 72%; Thursday...
...their airport counters, while at their downtown offices in large cities, fearful air travelers queued up for wheels. International passengers had little choice but to wait out available flights, sometimes camping overnight in terminals. Businessmen turned to corporate and charter aircraft, which was not always an improvement; under the FAA'S contingency plans, such planes had a lower priority than the scheduled carriers. But as the week progressed, even the reduced number of flights held more capacity than the fewer passengers could fill. The airport crowds vanished, counter service notably improved. Said Traveler Bob Barnett of Santa Monica, Calif...
...week's end the FAA ordered the nation's 22 largest airports to cut scheduled flights back to 50% for at least a month in order to reduce any delays and ensure safety. The agency also announced plans to triple the number of new air controllers it trains, currently 1,800 a year, and began accepting applications for the jobs once held by the fired PATCO strikers. In New York City alone, 1,763 people signed up in the first five hours. The Government was preparing to fly without PATCO forever. Declared a confident Transportation Secretary Drew Lewis, who piloted...
...available pool of 10,000, rushed to major air centers. They began studying civilian control procedures, and would begin to take up shifts this week if needed. Up to 700 military controllers can be reassigned to civilian posts with only a minimal effect on military operations; if the FAA needed more than 700, selective cutbacks in military flights would be required...
That seemed to be true. The union's abrupt walkout and the Administration's swift retaliation had left neither side any face-saving way to resume negotiations, particularly since the Government considered the bulk of PATCO's constituency no longer strikers but simply among the unemployed. The FAA even took steps to decertify PATCO as the legal bargaining agent for the controllers. Justifiably confident that public opinion was solidly on his side and still basking in his legislative triumphs on Capitol Hill, the President massed a historic show of force against the first labor union to challenge his Administration directly...