Air traffic controller shortages are a nationwide problem
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
A huge share of the country's air traffic control facilities are understaffed, per the most recent FAA data.
Why it matters: January's mid-air collision between a passenger jet and a U.S. Army helicopter is bringing fresh attention to the staffing shortages, which are a longstanding problem.
- It's unclear if such shortages played a role in the incident, which claimed 67 lives, yet investigators will surely consider that potential.
Driving the news: The nation's airport control towers and approach/departure facilities had 7,047 certified controllers as of September 2023.
- That's nearly 2,000 short of an 8,966-controller goal set jointly by the FAA and the air traffic controllers' union.
- En route facilities, which control broad swaths of mostly high-altitude airspace, had 4,531 controllers — 1,136 shy of their goal.
Stunning stat: Of 313 total FAA facilities included in the report, only 23 met or exceeded their staffing goal.
How it works: The staffing numbers come from the FAA's 2024-2033 air traffic controller workforce plan, and include both fully certified controllers and recently transferred controllers who are certified but learning the ins-and-outs of a new facility.
- Controllers in training who have not yet been fully certified are not included.
The intrigue: The FAA report was unavailable on the agency's website as of early February — perhaps swept up in a broader purge of government data tied to an executive order from President Trump.
- Axios obtained it using the Wayback Machine, a service that archives websites and documents posted online. At least part of the full report appears to be back online as of Feb. 7.
- The FAA did not return Axios' request for comment.
Zoom in: Staffing shortages are especially pronounced at certain FAA facilities, some of which manage hugely critical airspace.
- The New York TRACON, for instance — which controls aircraft coming into and out of the busy New York City area — had 146 certified controllers as of September 2023, compared to a goal of 226.
- The FAA has since shifted responsibility for the Newark area to a similar facility in Philadelphia, in a bid to address staffing issues that has not shown clear success.
The latest: In the wake of January's disaster, President Trump called for sweeping air traffic control overhauls, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy welcomed Elon Musk's DOGE team to take a look under the hood.
- But Trump's actual plan remains unclear, DOGE doesn't appear to have aviation expertise, and any major changes to the highly complex air traffic control system will take years to implement safely.
- Airlines and other stakeholders will surely want a say in any tweaks as well.
Context: The FAA has ramped up recruitment efforts, but the path to becoming a fully certified controller is long and arduous.
- Many trainees wash out, those who make it through initial training don't fully control where they end up stationed, and controllers must pass regular medical checks for their entire careers.
- Controllers generally must retire at age 56, causing constant attrition. (The FAA netted just 36 new controllers in fiscal 2024, The Air Current recently reported, with reporter Will Guisbond calling that "a staggeringly low figure that emphasizes the severity of the controller shortage.")
- Hiring may be further dampened because of the uncertainty of entering the federal workforce as the Trump Administration appears eager to cut as many government workers as it can.
The bottom line: Many of the nation's air traffic controllers have been making things work with relatively little — but it's clearly time to get serious about fixing the problem.
