Air traffic controllers object to use of new arrivals system at Chicago airport

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2000 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) in the United States has objected to a plan by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to implement a new arrival procedure at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport during the coming Christmas season.

NATCA claims that the Compressed Arrivals Procedure (CAPS) would compromise safety, with the president of the local chapter in Elgin, Illinois stating, 'We are barely treading water with what we have to handle right now.'

CAPS involves stacking aircraft at different altitudes as they approach O'Hare International Airport and has been tested on several occasions over the last two years. Reuters reported that the testing had achieved mixed results.

NATCA has now asked the FAA to address issues such as staffing levels, training and the evaluation of tests before implementing the system.

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