Around 2,400 new air traffic controllers have been hired at American airports in the past 12 months, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
When asked about resolving the deficit of air traffic controllers (ATC) in an April 8 interview with CNBC, Duffy said: “We had the biggest year of hiring in six years.
“We have more controllers for the first time since pre-pandemic.”
However, Duffy noted that the washout rate of ATCs was “too high” at 30 percent.
To bring down the rate, “getting the right young adults to get into the school is what we’re thinking through right now,” the secretary said. “We have big classes coming through next week. We’re going to announce a new class of air traffic controllers.”
Duffy said he was offering controllers eligible to retire “a 20 percent up-front cash bonus” to stay on the job.
The Transportation secretary also talked about investing in aviation infrastructure.
“I got twelve and a half billion dollars that I’m working on right now. Next two and a half years, we’re going to spend that building out new telecom, we’re gonna have new radar, new voice switches. But the next part is we need new software to manage the system. Congress has to give me money for that,” he said.
The funding is to be used for “acquisition, construction, sustainment, and improvement of facilities and equipment necessary to improve or maintain aviation safety,” according to the bill.
In an April 7 post on X, Duffy said the funding was being used for new runway tracking technologies, electronic flight strips, state-of-the-art radars, and brand-new fiber lines at airports across the country.
“These upgrades will make travel safer and more efficient than ever,” Duffy said. “We are working at the Speed of Trump to build our new air traffic control system.”
The push to boost the ATC workforce comes as a major accident last year put scrutiny on staff shortages.
FAA Staffing Plan
According to the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan 2025–2028 report, the agency anticipates hiring at least 8,900 new ATCs through 2028.This includes hiring 2,000 controllers last year, 2,200 controllers in this fiscal year (FY), 2,300 controllers in FY 2027, and 2,400 in FY 2028.
“FAA supercharged its ATC hiring process by streamlining the previous eight-step process to five steps and by raising student starting salaries by nearly 30 percent. Additionally, the FAA announced new incentives for completing Academy training and for the retention of retirement-eligible controllers who perform mission-critical work,” the report said.
However, it said “total attrition is expected to increase in the next several years, driven by increased Academy and developmental controller training failures. This is tied to increased hiring levels. We anticipate total attrition of 6,872 controllers through 2028. Additionally, controller retirements are expected to remain at relatively low levels for the next few years.”
Overall, the total air traffic controller workforce is expected to increase by more than 2,000 by the end of 2028, according to the FAA.
In a Jan. 6 report, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) detailed why it’s difficult to hire and train new ATCs.
Applicants must first pass an aptitude assessment and obtain security approval and medical clearance. They must then graduate from a four- to six-month training course at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City, followed by on-the-job training. A person may need to spend up to six years to become a certified ATC, the report said.
“This rigorous hiring and training process is designed to ensure that candidates are well equipped to handle a demanding, high-stakes career as an air traffic controller,” GAO said.
“Very few applicants—about 2 percent—qualify for and complete the full training process. So even if many people are interested in the job, it would be nearly impossible for the FAA to quickly hire a lot of new air traffic controllers.”
The FAA has received around 200,000 applications for ATCs over the past several years and yet remains short-staffed, GAO said.
