Weather observers at ABIA are going old school, forced to leave their posts and exit the building just to get a peek at the sky or check their iPhones for weather updates. The Austin-Bergstrom International Airport's weather gurus, who serve as human backstops to tech-heavy automated systems, are reportedly working in a windowless room without internet, as revealed by federal documents.
Inside the air traffic control tower—no windows in sight—the observers have to descend two flights of stairs to physically check the weather, an arrangement slammed by meteorologist Troy Kimmel of UT Austin. "To me, as someone in meteorology, that's just unacceptable," Kimmel told the Austin Monitor. "If you go to (other major Texas airports), there's not another place where weather observers can't see or have access to tools. There’s not another site like Austin, Texas."
The FAA maintains the tech and personnel tucked away in the tower, though the City of Austin owns the physical structure. Tammy L. Jones, FAA spokesperson, defended the conditions, saying "There have been no issues with (weather observers) obtaining weather observations at Austin Tower." Jones asserted to the Austin Monitor, "Electronic devices, including cell phones, are not permitted in control towers. Internet connectivity is available for all authorized devices in other areas of the buildings." Yet, the contracted weather observers are not federal employees and therefore don't have access to these authorized devices.
These limitations were highlighted during an investigation by the NTSB into a near-miss at ABIA, where a FedEx plane almost landed on a runway occupied by a Southwest Airlines plane ready for takeoff in February 2023. While weather observers were ruled out as a contributing factor to the incident, the lack of internet came under scrutiny during interviews. John Prator, a seasoned weather observer manager, confirmed that the absence of net access substantially hinders their operation. "Absolutely, yes, sir. Absolutely," Prator responded in a statement obtained by the Austin Monitor.
Separate from this, the FAA has been criticized for insufficient staffing of air traffic controllers at ABIA, leading to excessive overtime and staffing stresses. Democratic Reps. Lloyd Doggett and Greg Casar of Texas have called the agency out on this, demanding "swift and forceful actions" to handle what appears to be part of a larger, nationwide issue.
