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FAA proposes to hire 2,300 air traffic controllers in budget request
The agency is seeking $95.4 million and has raised starting salaries 30% as it tries to cut delays in hiring and training.
- 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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Total News Sources5
Leaning Left0Leaning Right2Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution60% Center
Bias Distribution
- 60% of the sources are Center
60% Center
C 60%
R 40%
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