FAA efforts to boost airt traffic control hiring see large applicant pool

The surge in hiring follows a plan announced by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on February 27 to significantly increase the hiring of air traffic controllers. He described the role as "one of the best, most rewarding jobs in America," emphasizing the skills of the candidates at the FAA Academy. The FAA's hiring window was open from February 27 to March 17, with the intention to streamline the application process and reduce training costs.

The FAA aims to align with the priorities set by President Donald Trump to enhance aviation safety by implementing various measures. These include recruiting candidates through a merit-based process, providing a 30% increase in starting salaries for academy attendees, and reducing the hiring steps from eight to five.

Coinciding with a Senate hearing regarding a mid-air collision, Rocheleau emphasized ATC staffing as a critical issue. "Right now, we have more than 10,750 air traffic controllers on the job with more than 3,000 in training. We intend to hire another 2,000 controller trainees this year."

The FAA believes the streamlined hiring process will accelerate the time-to-hire by five months or more, quickly integrating new air traffic controllers into operational roles. This recent hiring window received over 10,000 applications, with over 8,300 applicants referred to the ATSA.