NATCA Celebrates Engineer Week 2024

WASHINGTON – NATCA proudly celebrates the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) engineers it represents and recognizes their many contributions to the workforce during the annual National Engineers Week of February 18-24, 2024. National Engineers week remains a predominant STEM program.

These professionals support every one of the 45,000 flights that safely takeoff and land each day in the U.S. They design, construct and remodel air traffic control facilities. They analyze, improve and upgrade radar and communications coverage.

“NATCA-represented engineers provide essential services that the flying public usually isn’t aware of or consider when they think of flying in our nation’s airspace”, said NATCA regional vice president Brad Davidson.

Separated into three different bargaining units, NATCA-represented engineers perform a wide range of duties that are imperative in maintaining our nation’s air traffic control standards as the safest and most efficient in the world. About 1,350 NATCA members belong to the largest unit, the Engineers and Architects group, and are assigned to the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization’s Engineering Services and Mission Support branches, they are responsible for the program management, design, construction and remodeling of air traffic control facilities and equipment.

Also covered by the Engineers and Architects unit, are approximately 200 engineers employed in either the Operations Support Group, responsible for maintaining the National Airspace System (NAS) equipment, and the Flight Inspection Services group, in charge of the maintenance and modernization for the fleet of flight inspection aircraft. Approximately 500 additional engineers work in Aircraft Certification, where they ensure aircraft are properly designed and tested. This group also investigates aircraft incidents. 165 NATCA engineers are also assigned to the Airports Division, where they are accountable for the approval of airport improvements, the implementation of new programs and the oversight of development projects. Engineers also work in the FAA’s En Route and Terminal Automation Program, providing operational computer software support and maintenance for enroute centers and terminal environments.

For more information about Engineers Week, visit the official website. https://discovere.org/programs/engineers-week/. For more information about NATCA-represented engineers, visit https://www.natca.org.