Although the Federal Aviation Administration awarded a new contract for air traffic controllers to Robinson Aviation, employees rejected their job offers due to issues with pay, forcing the federal agency to figure out how to maintain air traffic control services after Feb. 1.
SAN CARLOS — The Federal Aviation Administration announced Friday that air traffic controllers under a previous contract will continue providing service at San Carlos Airport for 60 days, just one day before a new provider was supposed to start staffing the tower.
San Carlos Airport is the only general aviation airport in the Bay Area with a contracted tower staff, said Alessandro Franco, owner of the San Carlos Flight Center flight school.
There are 21 general aviation airports with a contracted tower staff; others include Redding, Sacramento Executive and Chico. The tower was previously staffed by Serco, a company that provides air navigation services, including air traffic control for small regional airports.
The FAA announced Thursday that their contract with Serco was ending on Friday and they had awarded a new contract to Robinson Aviation, a company that specializes in air traffic control. However, their controllers rejected their job offers after the company refused to adjust their pay to account for higher living costs in the Bay Area.
“To maintain the continuity of air traffic control services at San Carlos Airport, we are extending the prior service provider, Serco, for 60 days,” the FAA said in a statement to the Bay Area News Group.
San Mateo County confirmed the staffing plan in a Facebook post, saying, “We appreciate the collaboration of all stakeholders in reaching this outcome and remain committed to monitoring and supporting long-term solutions for the airport’s operational needs.”
Robinson Aviation was initially supposed to start staffing the tower on Feb. 1. The company called in controllers from other parts of the country to staff the tower by Saturday, said San Carlos Airport spokesperson Davi Howard.
The staffing issues raised concerns for aviation enthusiasts. Franco said that an unmanned tower at San Carlos Airport would be a cause for concern due to traffic in the area between smaller planes taking off from the general aviation airport and commercial airlines coming into San Francisco International Airport.
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