Trump Administration Aims to Boost ATC Hiring

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy today announced a new plan to supercharge the hiring of air traffic controllers. This announcement followed a tour of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Academy at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center. During the tour, Secretary Duffy met with FAA officials and academy students to highlight the critical role air traffic controllers play in keeping the American people safe.

This change will accelerate the time-to-hire for these critical positions by shaving more than four months off the old process.

“I witnessed firsthand the dedication, skill, and rigor that our future air traffic controllers bring to their training and the urgent need to do all that we can to recruit more people to join in our shared mission of safety in our skies,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “This staffing shortage has been a known challenge for over a decade, and this administration is committed to solving it. The new streamlined hiring process is just the first step to deliver on President Trump’s agenda to prioritize the American people’s safety and modernize the federal government.”

The FAA is opening its hiring window to become an air traffic controller from 27 February through 17 March, and we are making it more efficient than ever to apply and more affordable to begin training.

The FAA will:

Raise the bar on safety by recruiting the best and brightest through a merit-based process.

Candidates that receive the highest score of “Well Qualified” on their Air Traffic Skills Assessment Test (ATSA) will be given priority for the Academy.

Increase starting salaries by 30% for candidates who go to the Academy.

The average certified professional controller makes over $160,000 per year.

Streamline hiring to improve efficiency by changing the current 8-step hiring process at the FAA to a 5-step process.

Once these trainees successfully pass through the Academy, they’ll be assigned to a tower or other facility across the country, where they’ll work with experienced air traffic controllers toward their certification.