Dad who took children to work is suspended after allowing them to help out at one of the world’s busiest airports
In a recording, a young child can be heard directing pilots from air traffic control at America’s JFK airport. After the boy clears a plane for take-off, a man can be heard saying to the pilot, “Here’s what you get guys when the kids are out of school.”
But this recording, from February 17, isn’t a one-off, with a young girl being heard speaking to pilots in a second incident on the same day. It’s believed the air traffic controller is the dad of both children, reports the Telegraph.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating, with both the air traffic controller and his supervisor being suspended until it’s over.
More than 1,000 flights a day take place at JKK airport, with 48 million passengers a year using it.
"This behaviour is not acceptable and does not demonstrate the kind of professionalism expected from all FAA employees," the FAA commented in a statement.
"Nobody in the aviation community felt like this was anything more than a noble thing, that a father would take his kid to work," Dave Pascoe, the owner of the website liveatc.com that captured the dialogue, said to CNN. Liveatc.com is a site that gathers air traffic communications mostly for the benefit of pilots.
"We do not condone this type of behaviour in any way,” stated the union representing controllers, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.
