The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Aug. 7 unveiled updated plans to hire thousands of air traffic controllers by the end of the year, and nearly 9,000 by 2028, as the agency looks to dig itself out of a now decades-long shortage of workers who are among the most critical for aviation safety.
In a press release, the FAA said it anticipates hiring 2,000 new controller recruits in 2025 and at least 8,900 by 2028 under its Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan. The agency’s Aviation Safety Workforce Plan similarly calls for hiring roughly 4,600 safety inspectors and engineers through 2034.
