Page 1 GAO-25-108597 Aviation Meteorologists
August 28, 2025
The Honorable Sean Duffy
Secretary
United States Department of Transportation
The Honorable Howard Lutnick
Secretary
United States Department of Commerce
Aviation Meteorologists: Urgent Actions Needed to Address Staffing Concerns
The Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is responsible
for ensuring the safety and efficiency of more than 45,000 flights per day in the National
Airspace System (NAS).
1
Adverse weather that affects flying conditions creates demand for
FAA decisions to facilitate the safe and efficient use of the NAS. To help FAA make these
decisions, meteorologists from the National Weather Service (NWS), within the Department of
Commerce’s (Commerce) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), provide
decision support services to FAA at the Air Traffic Control System Command Center (command
center) and Air Route Traffic Control Centers (en route center) for any weather event that could
have an impact on air traffic operations and safety of flight.
2
A group of NWS meteorologists—known as a center weather service unit (CWSU)—work on
site with air traffic controllers at each of FAA’s 21 en route centers to provide routine decision
support services 16 hours a day/7 days a week. A similar group of aviation meteorologists are
on site at the command center, fulfilling this responsibility nationally. According to NOAA, the
catalyst that placed meteorologists in each center was the 1977 crash of Southern Airways flight
242, which flew into a thunderstorm and crashed en route to Atlanta.
3
The ensuing investigation
found that excessive water and hail had caused both of the aircraft’s engines to fail. The
1
Maintaining safety in air commerce is one of FAA’s highest priorities by statute. See 49 U.S.C. §§ 40101, 40103.
2
The Air Traffic Control System Command Center, located in Warrenton, VA, manages the flow of air traffic within the
United States. This facility regulates air traffic when weather, equipment, runway closures, or other conditions place
stress on the NAS. In these instances, traffic management specialists at the command center take action to modify
traffic demands to keep traffic within system capacity. Air Route Traffic Control Centers are FAA facilities that control
high-altitude flight outside the airport tower and terminal areas.
3
On April 4, 1977, Southern Airways flight 242 crashed after losing thrust from both engines while traveling through
severe thunderstorms, a determination made by the National Transportation Safety Board. Specifically, the loss of
thrust was caused by ingestion of massive amounts of water and hail which, in combination with thrust lever
movement, induced severe stalling in and major damage to the engine compressors. Of the 85 people aboard, 62
were killed, 22 were seriously injured, and one was slightly injured. Among other contributing factors were limitations
in FAA’s air traffic control system, which precluded the timely dissemination of real-time hazardous weather
information to the flight crew on the intended flight route.
