The air traffic controllers union revealed that the union is facing a crisis, after the incident last Saturday at the Mexico City International Airport (AICM) between two Volaris planes, which led to the resignation of the director of Navigation Services in the Mexican Air Space (Seneam), Víctor Manuel Hernández.
According to the National Union of Air Traffic Controllers (Sinacta), from December 2021 to last month, 30 serious air incidents have been reported in the country, of which 10 occurred in the AICM, as a result of the redesign of the airspace and current working conditions.
Serious incidents are those where the pilots have to perform a maneuver to avoid a collision, he explained in an interview with THE UNIVERSAL the general secretary of Sinacta, José Alfredo Covarrubias.
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This weekend it was announced that at the AICM a Volaris plane that was about to land had to make a “go-around”, that is, abort the landing, because another plane from the same airline was on the runway.
Covarrubias detailed the poor working conditions under which air traffic controllers work and said that these incidents have their origin in two situations: labor and technical.
In the workplace, Sinacta denounced that the now former director of Seneam, Víctor Manuel Hernández, who had held the position since 2018, unjustly fired air traffic controllers, threatened them and asked them to sign letters where they did not know the union leader. In addition, he hired his friends and acquaintances with the position of “air traffic controller supervisor”.
“We knew that if an accident happened, they were going to pay attention. Fortunately, this incident occurred that did not affect anyone and set off the alerts of the authorities and the people of Seneam, but the departure of the director is not the solution yet, “said Covarrubias.
In addition, Hernández eliminated the position of Flow Controller, a position in which the person in charge is the one who makes the “blocks” so that the planes can land at the AICM during peak hours and avoid congestion. Sinacta considers it necessary to restore that position and place an auxiliary controller in each position, since there is a deficit of 300 controllers throughout the country.
Regarding the technical part, he mentioned that the redesign of the airspace in the Valley of Mexico so that the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) has caused an increase in incidents.
Of the 10 serious incidents in the AICM, one occurred on November 13 between an Aeroméxico flight and a Volaris flight, where there was “a fairly delicate approach.” Another happened on November 21 with an Aeroméxico plane, Covarrubias explained.
take action
Yesterday, after government officials and participants from the aviation industry met at the Ministry of the Interior, where they discussed “ordering” the capital’s airspace, the SICT Undersecretary of Transportation, Rogelio Jiménez Pons, said that it was agreed to reduce 25% of the operations in the AICM, so the flights will be destined for the AIFA or the Toluca airport.
In an interview with Azucena Uresti in Formula, he explained that Saturday’s incident was due to “a controller error.”
Meanwhile, the SICT reported that Ricardo Torres Muela was appointed as dispatch manager in the General Directorate of Navigation Services in the Mexican Air Space (Seneam)
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affect cuts
These incidents respond to a multifactorial situation, but it should not be ignored that the current administration made very strong budget cuts in practically all sectors, including Communications and Transportation, said Juan Carlos Machorro, an aviation expert at the Santamarina y Steta office. .
“We had already been hearing on the subject of controllers that there were very important exits, and the entry of people with a very long learning curve. Now this comes from the very precarious working conditions”, commented the specialist.
In addition, he added, there is not a single certification issued by any entity such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) or the International Air Transport Association (IATA) that indicates that the AICM and the AIFA “can operate at their maximum capacity in a simultaneous.
“We are blind. With a reconfiguration where the controllers are neither 100% familiar with, nor fully trained in the operation of two airports simultaneously”, lamented Juan Carlos Machorro.