The United States National Air Traffic Controllers Association has revealed that the country is grappling with a critical shortage of air traffic controllers, which ranks among the worst deficits in nearly 30 years.
The shortfall has led to excessive overtime, with many controllers working “six days a week, 10 hours a day – for years at a time,” union President Nick Daniels testified before a House subcommittee.
The country needs more than 3,000 new air traffic controllers to meet safe staffing levels, he said, as recent aviation incidents have highlighted the strain on exhausted controllers.
“What is new – or more problematic or more common now – is the use of overtime,” said Michael McCormick, a professor and air traffic management coordinator at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He noted that larger facilities bear the brunt of this issue.
According to a special report by CNN, concerns over staffing have been exacerbated by high-profile accidents. In January, a commercial jet and a military helicopter collided near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, killing 67 people.
While the cause is still under investigation, CNN confirmed that one controller was handling both local air traffic and helicopter traffic at the time. Additionally, a near collision in 2023 was linked to a controller distracted by a third plane, though staffing shortages were not explicitly cited in the report.
To address the crisis, the federal government has announced pay increases for new hires and streamlined hiring processes.
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However, strict age restrictions limit the applicant pool, as anyone over 31 is ineligible to apply. Air traffic controllers must retire by age 56, meaning many leave the profession years before standard retirement age.
McCormick explained the cognitive demands of the job, likening air traffic control to a three-dimensional version of Tetris, requiring controllers to memorise vast amounts of data.
“You provide approach control services (to) all those airports, too. So all that needs to be memorized… you can’t waste time and energy looking something up or trying to remember something,” he said.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, has urged retired air traffic controllers to return to work.
“There is a shortage of top notch air traffic controllers,” Musk posted on X. “If you have retired, but are open to returning to work, please consider doing so.”
However, federal law mandates retirement at 56, with only rare waivers allowing work until 60. Many controllers opt to retire early due to generous pensions, McCormick noted.
Despite efforts to boost hiring, fewer than 10% of applicants meet the Federal Aviation Administration’s stringent requirements, which include rigorous medical and security clearances and an intensive training process lasting up to three years.
“It takes two to three years to get a controller from being qualified … just to enter the job,” Daniels said. The union reported that around 41% of air traffic controllers are currently working 60-hour weeks, with only 24-hour weekends before starting another gruelling schedule.
McCormick attributed the ongoing shortage to factors such as COVID-19, economic downturns, and government shutdowns, with hiring and training grinding to a halt each time the government closes. A potential shutdown on 14 March could worsen the crisis, he warned.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has pledged to “supercharge the hiring of air traffic controllers.” The hiring window is open until 17 March, with starting pay for academy trainees rising from $17.61 to $22.61 an hour.
Certified controllers can expect to earn over $160,000 within three years. The FAA has also cut its hiring process from eight steps to five, aiming to shave four months off recruitment times.
While the FAA exceeded its goal of hiring 1,800 controllers in 2024, the highest in nearly a decade, McCormick stressed the need for further action, including recruiting high school students to boost long-term interest in the profession. “It’s going to take time,” he said. “It’s going to take years to fill that gap.”
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