US Aviation System Under Stress; Significant Surge in Near Collisions Raises Safety Concerns

Staffing shortages, lack of comprehensive training, and an increase in retirements in the aviation industry have highlighted the strain in the aviation system, leading to a considerable surge in near collisions, with nearly one near miss reported everyday in the past year. The system safety margins have dwindled, moving the aviation industry dangerously closer to potentially catastrophic incidents.

Recent data reveals an alarming trend in the aviation industry, with almost one near miss collision reported every day over the past year. In the fiscal year 2023 alone, there were 23 serious close-call incidents at U.S. airports, up from eight in 2017.
Several incidents of near collisions have highlighted the perilous state of the aviation system. In one incident, a Southwest Airlines flight narrowly avoided a crash with a Cessna business jet at San Diego International Airport. In another, a Mesa Airlines jet was forced to abort its landing to avoid collision with a SkyWest jet.
Industry experts highlight staffing shortages and a lack of comprehensive training as significant challenges adding to the strain on the aviation industry. A surge in retirements, particularly during and after the pandemic, has played a significant role in degrading system safety margins.
The shortage of air traffic controllers has led to controllers often working six-day weeks of 60 hours, often switching between day and night shifts, which has reportedly caused fatigue and distraction affecting safety. Despite attempts to hire more controllers, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has failed to meet its hiring goals over the last decade.
Increased dependance on technology and computer-based instruction also poses concerns. While technology improvements could help avoid runway incursions, the lack of human interaction in training is identified as a contributing factor to the problems.