FAA slashes hiring target, saying it can keep the skies safe with fewer air traffic controllers than it thought
The agency said modern scheduling tools and more time on position will help fewer certified controllers manage traffic safely.
- On Friday, The Federal Aviation Administration announced it lowered its staffing target for Certified Professional Controllers to 12,563, down from the previously forecast 14,633.
- Mounting overtime costs, which jumped more than 300% to over $200 million since 2013, prompted the change; a National Academies of Sciences report cited inefficient scheduling and misallocated workforce.
- Despite a 4% increase in traffic, time spent managing traffic has declined; approximately 11,000 certified controllers are currently deployed across more than 300 facilities with 4,000 in the training pipeline.
- The FAA will implement "modern, automated scheduling tools" to reduce overtime, and The FAA Workforce Plan requires recruiting 2,200 "high-quality candidates" in 2026, 2,300 in 2027, and 2,400 in 2028.
- FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford promised to build a "brand new air traffic control system" to increase operational efficiency, stating the agency must change how it hires and trains its workforce.
26 Articles
26 Articles
Omaha World-Herald
FAA reduces target for air traffic control staff
WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday it will sharply reduce its air traffic control staffing target as it vowed to modernize scheduling, increase the time employees spend managing traffic and "reduce the need for excessive overtime."
Air traffic controller staffing goal cut by more than 2,000 workers | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
WASHINGTON >> The Federal Aviation Administration said today it was sharply reducing its target for air traffic control staffing as it vowed to modernize scheduling and increase the time employees spend managing traffic.
FAA unveils new air traffic controller hiring plan after chief warned system was ‘chronically understaffed’
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) unveiled an aggressive new workforce overhaul on Friday aimed at tackling chronic staffing shortages, excessive overtime and aging technology across the nation’s air traffic control system.The newly released 2026-2028 Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan calls for hiring thousands of new controllers, modernizing scheduling systems and replacing aging infrastructure across the National Airspace System.Th…
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