Air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia.
Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Thursday that the Trump administration will take steps to promote the employment of air traffic controllers after a series of recent security incidents reiterated questions about ongoing staff shortages.
The Federal Aviation Administration will open its recruitment window by March 17 to become an air traffic controller, which will increase the salary of candidates going to FAA training academy by 30% and speed up employees by cutting the old process of more than four months.
Continuous controller shortages delayed flights. In many facilities, controllers are mandatory overtime and six days to make up for shifts.
Duffy said he is reconsidering rules that allow air traffic control supervisors to reduce staffing at Washington’s Reagan National Airport and killed 67 people in a deadly plane crash in Army helicopters in January.
The FAA has about 3,500 fully certified air traffic controllers, under-reached targeted staffing levels and about 10% fewer controllers than in 2012.
The FAA fired 350 probation workers this month, including some safety-related positions. Duffy insists that the agency has not eliminated work that is critical to safety. USDOT withdraws retirement offers to controllers.
This week, a bipartisan panel of three U.S. senators called for new funding to promote staffing of air traffic control personnel, accelerate training for new controllers, and provide new incentives to retain aviation workers.
Last week, the U.S. aviation department called on Congress to carry out a series of crashes in a series of crashes by air traffic control technology and staffing.
Airlines representing the United States American Airlines,,,,, Delta gas line,,,,, Southwest Airlines As well as other major carriers, Duffy’s actions have praised the long-term lack of air traffic controllers.
United Airlines “Solving the severe shortage of air traffic controllers is the most influential action the government has taken to improve the safety, reliability and efficiency of air travelers,” said CEO Scott Kirby. U.S. CEO Robert Isom called the plan a “critical first step to making our aviation systems safer”.
In 2024, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) cut minimum flight requirements for New York-NY regional airports, and as of October, air traffic controllers lacked staff.
In March, former President Joe Biden proposed $8 billion over the next five years to replace or modernize more than 20 aging air traffic control facilities and 377 critical radar systems and hire 2,000 new controllers. One quarter of all FAA facilities are over 50 years of age.
