logoalt Hacker News

pc86yesterday at 4:51 PM3 repliesview on HN

"Staffing shortage" doesn't mean "you can fit more people in the tower."

You can't think of any scenario having one controller makes sense?


Replies

Someone1234yesterday at 5:06 PM

In general, I can. In LaGuardia? Aside from right after 9/11 and during COVID-19 when almost all commercial travel stopped, I cannot.

I don't think people saying this stuff quite understand how busy LGA is even at night. I'd even go as far as to say that three minimum on duty with two in the tower at all times (for a ground/air split), would be the bare minimum for any hour or situation at LGA.

show 1 reply
pbhjpbhjyesterday at 9:36 PM

When the airport is closed, in case there was an emergency that needed to reroute. One person on then makes sense?

La Guardia appears to handle 400 flights a day, 22 an hour. I see 6 moving planes right now (https://www.flightradar24.com/airport/lga); hopefully they have more than one person on?

show 1 reply
alistairSHyesterday at 8:34 PM

You can't think of any scenario having one controller makes sense?

At one of the nation's busiest airports? Where there are two intersecting runways, both potentially with departing and arriving aircraft? Nope.

But, sure, a single-runway regional airport can probably get by with a single controller.