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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Thursday that the agency plans to substantially increase its air traffic control hiring as the airline industry continues to face a shortage.
“This staffing shortage has been a known challenge for over a decade, and this administration is committed to solving it,” Duffy said on Thursday following a tour of the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City.
The FAA has a hiring window for air traffic controller applicants from February 27 to March 17. The Department of Transportation also plans to raise starting salaries by 30% for air traffic controllers who go through training at the FAA Academy.
Salaries for entry-level air traffic controllers increase with each training phase, according to the FAA’s website. The median salary for an air traffic controller was around $137,380 in 2023, according to the latest estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Industry Pushes for Reform
The airline industry is still facing a dire air traffic controller shortage, which the FAA has previously said could last until the 2030s. The shortage worsened during the pandemic, when an uptick in air traffic controllers retired and the FAA paused trainings.
The agency said last year that it hired 1,811 air traffic controllers, exceeding its hiring goals for the fiscal year.
The industry has also pushed for major reform to air traffic control hiring and modernizing the National Airspace System.
Trade group Airlines for America, which represents most major U.S. airlines, and several other industry groups urged Congress in a letter for emergency funding for air traffic control staffing and technology.
The letter also asked Congress to exempt the FAA from government shutdowns “to ensure a predictable funding stream to ensure continued safety and air traffic control personnel hiring and training.”
A 2019 government shutdown left federal workers — including air traffic controllers — without pay for nearly a month. The shutdown eventually ended after staffing shortages at airports led to flight delays and cancellations.
Elon Musk Makes His Mark on the FAA
Earlier on Thursday, Elon Musk, who is leading efforts to reduce government spending, asked retired air traffic controllers to come back in a post on X.
“There is a shortage of top notch air traffic controllers,” Musk said on X. “If you have retired, but are open to returning to work, please consider doing so.”
The Trump administration fired hundreds of probationary FAA workers last week, but Duffy said on X that “zero air traffic controllers and critical safety personnel were let go.”
The FAA also recently started testing Starlink technology at facilities in Atlantic City and Alaska.
“Alaska has long had issues with reliable weather information for the aviation community. The 2024 FAA Reauthorization required the FAA to fix telecommunications connections to address those needs,” the FAA said in a statement on Monday. “That is why the FAA has been considering the use of Starlink since the prior administration to increase reliability at remote sites, including in Alaska. This week, the FAA is testing one terminal at its facility in Atlantic City and two terminals at non-safety critical sites in Alaska.”
The Washington Post reported Wednesday that the FAA is considering canceling a nearly $2.4 billion contract with Verizon to modernize an air traffic control communications system in favor of Musk’s Starlink.
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