Union pushes for more air traffic control staff post Japan crash

The union for transport workers in Japan said it will push for more staff to assist air traffic controllers at the country’s main airports to strengthen safety measures in the aftermath of last month’s fatal accident at Tokyo Haneda airport.

While some airports have such personnel, “they’re not enough” for tasks like double-checking communications between pilots and air traffic controllers, Masato Yamasaki, president of the Labor Union of MLIT, JMA and Affiliates said during a briefing Tuesday.   

“It’s important to assign more people to save the lives of passengers and crew,” Yamasaki said. The labor union has submitted its increase in staff request to the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau.

Other demands that it’s making to the aviation bureau include providing stress management assistance to all airport office staff and urging the third-party committees that investigate the causes of accidents to more closely reflect the voices of on-the-ground staff.

On Jan. 2, a De Havilland Canada Dash 8 collided with a much larger Airbus SE A350 operated by Japan Airlines Co. at Haneda airport, killing five of the six crew on the coast guard plane. All 379 people aboard JAL’s jetliner, which was just landing, were able to escape.