NIK: PAŻP did not fully guarantee air traffic safety in 2022-2023

PAŻP President Dismissed. There is a Successor (video from January 4) TVN24

The Supreme Audit Office disclosed that the Polish Air Navigation Agency failed to maintain fully effective oversight and an acceptable safety level in air traffic for the years 2022–2023. In light of these claims, the Agency asserted that it has been enacting effective corrective actions since January 2024. It was also highlighted that the crisis conditions experienced in 2021–2022 must not recur. Previously, journalist Grzegorz Łakomski from the tvn24.pl portal had reported on irregularities within the Polish Air Navigation Agency.

Several years ago, Grzegorz Łakomski, a journalist from the tvn24.pl portal, reported on irregularities in the functioning of the Polish Air Navigation Agency.

In his articles, he highlighted the mass exodus of air traffic controllers, strained relations between staff and management, and possible risks to the continuity and safety of flight operations. The issues raised at that time were corroborated in the Supreme Audit Office’s report.

Read more: „Great improvisation”, „critical risk”. 16 passenger flights without checks at the airport in Gdańsk >>>

The crisis at PAŻP emerged following the broader implementation of the so-called single controller mode (SPO – Single Person Operations). On tvn24.pl, Grzegorz Łakomski raised concerns over how this mode could impact safety in Polish airspace. In March 2021, he reported on PAŻP union representatives who alerted about safety threats and were subsequently terminated for disciplinary reasons.

In a March 2022 article, Łakomski disclosed that 44 air traffic controllers had departed from the Polish Air Navigation Agency. The staff did not accept the working conditions proposed by PAŻP management. The journalist noted that more employees might follow suit, which could potentially lead to the cancellation of most air routes over Poland.

In June 2022, an agreement was reached with the controllers.

At the start of January 2023, the journalist reported that due to the shortage of controllers in Gdańsk, 16 take-offs and landings of passenger aircraft occurred in the uncontrolled zone.

Staff shortages at PAŻP

The initial audit conducted by NIK regarding the assurance of air traffic safety in civil aviation by air traffic services spanned from January 1, 2022, to December 22, 2023. „The Polish Air Navigation Services Agency (PAŻP) (…) was unprepared for a shortage of air traffic controllers – a risk that arose due to a dispute between the controllers and the PAŻP management,” NIK stated in a report released on Wednesday.

The Chamber reiterated that PAŻP is accountable for the safety of continuous air navigation in Polish airspace, airspace management, and air traffic flow management. Oversight of PAŻP’s operations is carried out by the President of the Civil Aviation Authority and the Ministry of Infrastructure.

Air traffic control points in Poland NIK

NIK observed that the COVID-19 pandemic led to a decline in air transport and subsequently a reduction in revenues for PAŻP. It indicated that to maintain financial viability (including salary payments), the Agency, among other measures, curtailed employee hiring and took steps to optimize its staffing structure. The majority of training programs were halted, with some being postponed from 2020 to later years. In the first half of 2023 alone, 28 positions remained unfilled. The staff shortages meant that the controllers on duty had to work overtime, resulting in additional expenses for the Agency.

Between 2020 and 2022, 150 candidates were not trained, leading to a cessation of the steady inflow of personnel for operational roles. „The training duration for candidates is approximately 20-22 months, making it likely that filling the staffing gaps caused by the suspension of training will not be feasible until 2029,” NIK stated.

Average monthly salary of an air traffic controller NIK

PAŻP on „significant errors” in management

PAŻP acknowledged that the NIK audit revealed „significant errors” in PAŻP management that occurred in 2022-2023, as well as since 2018. It noted that since January 2024, strategic processes at PAŻP have been rectified, which „is effective.” „The halting of recruitment and training of air traffic controllers during the pandemic was a critical oversight by the then acting president of PAŻP, Janusz Janiszewski, which was precisely validated by NIK,” the Agency added.

It also

Źródło