PDX is one of few airports without an air traffic controller shortage
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A huge share of the country's air traffic control facilities have been understaffed, but Portland International Airport is one of just a few that meets FAA staffing targets, the most recent data shows.
Why it matters: January's midair collision between a passenger jet and an Army helicopter in Washington, D.C., is bringing fresh attention to the longstanding staff shortages.
- It's unclear if such shortages played a role in that incident — which claimed 67 lives — but investigators are considering that.
State of play: Of 313 FAA facilities included in the report, only 23 — including PDX, with its 26 controllers — met or exceeded their staffing goal as of September 2023.
Yes, but: Smaller airports and facilities in Oregon remain understaffed.
- The facility that guides the approaches and departures of planes in the surrounding Portland area had a nearly 8% vacancy rate, while the vacancy rates at the Eugene and Hillsboro towers were in the double digits — roughly 29% and 17%, respectively.
- Collectively, the state was short 13 controllers at those three locations.
How it works: The staffing numbers come from the FAA's 2024–2033 air traffic controller workforce plan, and include fully certified controllers and recently transferred controllers who are certified but learning the ins and outs of a new facility.
What we're watching: The FAA has ramped up recruitment efforts, but the path to becoming a fully certified controller is long and arduous.