Lawmakers in New York are urging the Federal Aviation Administration to fully rescind forced relocation orders for air traffic controllers on Long Island.
The FAA plans to forcibly relocate some air traffic controllers from Long Island to the Philadelphia area as part of its plan to reconfigure control of the airspace above the northeastern United States.
Long Island’s congressional delegation wrote a letter to the FAA last week demanding the agency rescind the relocation orders.
"Forced reassignment to Philadelphia would rip controllers away from their families, homes and safety nets, and would add multiple stressors that could impede job performance and public safety," the delegation wrote.
The FAA had agreed early this month to rescind the relocation orders after protests from controllers, their union and elected officials, but 17 controllers are still subject to the orders.
The FAA said in a statement that it's committed to "ensuring that work is safely and appropriately staffed" as the agency works to transfer control of the Newark airspace to Philadelphia.
