经济学家杂志2011年4月14日刊文:空管员下台

报道了美国空管系统运营商FAA空中交通组织负责人HANK KRAKOWSKI已经提交辞呈，该辞呈源于今年四个空管人员上班睡觉事件，尽管没有造成严重的后果。FAA行政主管，也是KRAKOWSKI先生的老板Randy Babbitt先生非常重视，他评论说：最近几周，我们看到一些非常不专业的操作案例，使飞行乘客质疑我们确保空中安全的能力。这样的行为必须马上停止！我郑重承诺确保飞行乘客最高水平的安全和信心，让我们从强化领导开始。

翻译得不好，请大家批评指正！后附全文。

希望对我们安全事故的管理和处理有点儿借鉴。

Air-traffic control

The controller steps down

Apr 14th 2011, 17:29 by A.B.

HANK KRAKOWSKI, the head of the FAA’s Air Traffic Organisation, which operates America's air-traffic control system, has submitted his resignation. This follows four instances this year of air-traffic control staff being asleep on duty, albeit without damaging consequences. Randy Babbitt, the administrator of the FAA and Mr Krakowski's boss, commented:

Over the last few weeks we have seen examples of unprofessional conduct on the part of a few individuals that have rightly caused the traveling public to question our ability to ensure their safety. This conduct must stop immediately. I am committed to maintaining the highest level of public confidence and that begins with strong leadership.

I suspect that "maintaining" the highest level of public confidence may be rather optimistic given recent events. Regaining it would be a good place to start.

And I must just highlight a comment that Ray LaHood, the transportation secretary, made to ABC News: "I guarantee the flying public we will not sleep until we can guarantee that there’s good safety in the control towers when these planes are coming in and out of airports". If only the air-traffic controllers had shown the same determination to stay awake.