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FAA proposes to hire 2,300 air traffic controllers in budget request
The agency says 3,500 certified controller vacancies are driving mandatory overtime and six-day weeks as it seeks funding for new trainees.
- On Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration proposed hiring 2,300 air traffic controller trainees to address persistent personnel shortages, with the FAA currently short about 3,500 fully certified controllers against targeted staffing levels.
- Strained by mandatory overtime and six-day weeks, the FAA employed 13,164 controllers at the end of September, representing a 6% decline over the past decade.
- To support this expansion, the FAA is seeking $95.4 million for training and $39 million for safety oversight, while increasing starting salaries by 30% and cutting time-to-hire by more than four months.
- Last week, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy requested between $7 billion and $10 billion for technology upgrades; the FAA is also offering retirement-eligible controllers under age 56 a 20% lump sum bonus to retain staff.
- The USDOT Office of Inspector General began investigating high trainee failure rates in February, while the Trump administration seeks $60 million to complete the FAA's move into the main USDOT headquarters building.
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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Monday (April 6) that it has proposed in its budget request to hire 2,300 people for air traffic controller job training in order to address a long-standing shortage of personnel for the position.
FAA's Bold Push to Hire 2,300 Air Traffic Controllers in Major Budget Move
AeroNewsJournal Washington, DC, April 7 - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced a significant proposal to hire 2,300 air traffic controller trainees as part of its fiscal year 2027 budget request, aiming to tackle ongoing staffing shortages in the national airspace system. This initiative represents a key component of the agency's broader efforts to bolster aviation safety and efficiency amid growing air traffic demands. The pr…
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Total News Sources7
Leaning Left0Leaning Right2Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution60% Center
Bias Distribution
- 60% of the sources are Center
60% Center
C 60%
R 40%
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