The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is urging swift action to address an aviation-weather meteorologist shortage after finding just 69 National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists on duty in June—well below the 81-FTE cap set for 2025 and the 90 positions outlined in a 2016 interagency pact.
In an Aug. 28 letter to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, GAO said the shortfall risks degrading decision support at the FAA’s Air Traffic Control System Command Center and 21 Center Weather Service Units (CWSU), which are expected to provide 16-hour, seven-day coverage. The report noted the current agreement expires Sept. 30, 2025, and recommended the FAA, in consultation with NWS, identify risks tied to today’s staffing levels and take urgent steps to mitigate them, including near-term measures while longer-term models are negotiated.
GAO detailed uneven staffing across CWSUs, including five units lacking a meteorologist-in-charge while services to the command center are operating with four of six billets filled. To keep desks manned, NWS has leaned on overtime, remote backup from other centers, temporary duty assignments, and assistance from local forecast offices. Airlines and labor groups cited concerns about reduced local expertise, limited access to center-specific systems like the Integrated Terminal Weather System during remote backups, and fatigue among forecasters.
“When the FAA says, ‘If somebody goes, we’re not allowed to bring a replacement for somebody, that’s absurd because on the other side of the coin, if an air traffic controller goes down, there’s another guy that comes back and backs him up and takes over,” Tom Fahey, legislative director of the National Weather Service Employees Organization, told CNN. “This is slowly trying to burn us out or squeeze us out.”
Aviation Meteorologists: Urgent Actions Needed to Address Staffing Concerns https://t.co/OUkmGanA3o
— U.S. GAO (@USGAO) August 28, 2025
NWS previously warned that deeper cuts would pose a “serious risk to the safety of the [National Airspace System]” and could drive wider operational impacts such as delays and cancellations, according to the GAO report.
FAA officials told GAO the 81-FTE cap reflected historical averages from between 2019-2024 and said they are evaluating alternative service models for fiscal 2026 and beyond, including a blend of centralized and field support that could total roughly 64–71 meteorologists. DOT concurred with GAO’s recommendation and said FAA and NWS are developing a new approach while considering a short-term extension of the existing agreement to prevent service gaps.
GAO emphasized that any future restructuring will take time to implement and train for, and that identifying and addressing today’s risks is essential to maintaining safety and efficiency in an already stressed National Airspace System.
Were any Meteorologists fired by the DOGE show?