The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Thursday that it would aim to hire 8,900 air traffic controllers through 2028 as part of the Trump administration’s plan to “supercharge” recruitment and retention.
But factoring in projected attrition from training, retirements and other departures from its current workforce, the agency said its hiring push would only yield about 1,000 total additional staffers — far short of the 3,000 it says it needs to be fully staffed.
The plan follows increased scrutiny of the nation’s beleaguered air safety system in the wake of a fatal January crash near Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C. that killed 67 people, marking the deadliest aviation accident since 2001.
During investigative hearings on the crash in July, officials said that the controller in charge of the airport was juggling two jobs, directing helicopter and airplane traffic at the same time. The official himself told investigators that he was becoming “overwhelmed” in the leadup to the crash.
The FAA’s plan includes streamlining the hiring process and increasing starting salaries for employees entering its academy by 30 percent.
But getting prospective controllers through the door is only the first step. Many people wash out of training at the FAA’s academy in Oklahoma City, and those who make it through still must be trained at their first airport facility.
In its report, the FAA estimated that it would lose about 3,200 prospective controllers during the training process, alongside 800 people when they reach their first airport.
In May, the FAA launched a cash incentive program for new hires who pass training, with bonuses ranging from $5,000 to $10,000.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has also teased more ambitious plans, including major investments in technology, saying the administration would “radically transform the way air traffic control looks.”
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