FAA aims to recruit 2,000 air traffic controllers amid staffing shortages

Transportation Department Secretary recently announced plans to accelerate the hiring process, reduce recruitment time, and raise starting salaries by 30%. This aligns with recent challenges highlighted by media outlets.

CNBC’s recent report delved into the staffing and training issues plaguing the U.S. aviation safety system. Scott Kirby remarked, "On blue sky days last year, 68% of our delays were because of air traffic control restrictions. We have a delay in New York every single day, no matter what the weather is, because they're simply understaffed."

Kirby pointed out the FAA's limited pathways to becoming an air traffic controller, with a current output of 1,800 controllers annually, resulting in a net gain of only 36 new controllers.

Technological constraints were also highlighted, with Nick Daniels mentioning outdated technology, "We have computers — and I kid you not — today in 2025 that are based on Windows 95 and floppy disks."

Despite these technological challenges, US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy is working to update air traffic control systems. However, Daniels emphasized that technology cannot replace human controllers in ensuring airspace safety.

The FAA workforce stood at 14,242 controllers in 2020 but has declined due to various factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, age limits, and mandatory retirement. Efforts by the current administration aim to rebuild controller numbers, with Daniels stating, "We currently have 10,800 certified professional controllers where we need [to have] 14,633. Any hiccup, a government shutdown or anything that disrupts the pipeline of the air traffic controllers coming in, will absolutely hurt the capacity of the flying public, and how many planes we can put in the air at any given time safely."