Trying to Stop FAA from Transferring Workers from Westbury to Philadelphia
Congressmen Anthony D’Esposito (R-Garden City) and Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) recently held a rally with members of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NACTA) to protest the most recent attempt by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to forcibly transfer employees currently stationed at the FAA’s N90 TRACON facility in Westbury. The two Congressmen, flanked by impacted air traffic controllers and their families as well as NACTA union leaders, recommitted themselves to the bipartisan fight to preserve jobs at the N90 TRACON facility and to stop the FAA from transferring 17 air traffic controllers to a separate FAA facility in the Philadelphia area.
Recently, the FAA has been attempting to shift operations surrounding the Newark Airspace from Westbury to a Philadelphia facility. This transfer would displace workers from N90 and see union jobs moved from Long Island to an out-of-state locale.
“Ripping hardworking air traffic controllers from the community they call ‘home’ is both morally wrong and potentially disruptive to operations at the N90 facility, and I am deeply disturbed by the callousness displayed by the FAA throughout this process,” D’Esposito said. “I will continue doing everything in my power to ensure these good, union jobs are not shipped out-of-state, and these impacted families can finally have some peace of mind.”
“These 17 hardworking air traffic controllers are also mothers, fathers, spouses, caregivers, and neighbors,” Suozzi said. “What the FAA is attempting to do – yank them away from their families, schools, doctors, and communities — is a disgrace. The impact that these forced relocations will have on these individuals and families cannot be understated. We have been down this road before and we will continue to keep pressure on and keep fighting the FAA on this shortsighted and thoughtless decision.”
In May 2024, after 17 air traffic controllers at N90 received letters notifying them of an imminent transfer, D’Esposito and Suozzi penned a bipartisan letter demanding the immediate stoppage of any transfer plans. Additional co-signers to the letter included Congressman Nick LaLota (R-Hauppauge), Congressman Andrew Garbarino (R-Patchogue), Congressman Rob Menendez (D-New Jersey), Senator Chuck Schumer (D-New York) and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York).