WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - A US Senator and a suburban New York official want the Federal Aviation Administration to investigate whether air traffic controllers are sleeping on the job at a local airport.
FAA Asked To Investigate Controllers After Fox 5 Report: MyFoxNY.com
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Westchester County executive Rob Astorino were reacting to a report on TV station WNYW . The report included video purporting to show controllers sleeping, texting and reading while on duty at the county airport.
In a letter to the FAA , Sen. Gillibrand said: "If these allegations are correct, they are highly disturbing and require attention at the highest levels of the Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Transportation."
"I urge you to order an immediate and thorough investigation of these allegations to determine whether individual air traffic controllers and managers have violated workplace regulations that ban sleeping, using distracting devices and materials, and otherwise compromising safety while they are performing their duties," it went on to say.
The airport is 30 miles north of New York City. It serves nearly 2 million passengers a year.
The report included an FAA statement that because of an elevator breakdown, off-duty controllers are allowed to use part of the tower as a break room.
In his own letter, Astorino said that explanation seemed insufficient. He demanded an investigation.
The FAA said Friday that it would take action as appropriate.
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